October 13, 2005 | Posted By Diane Pfadenhauer | print this article

FMLA Mistakes

This interesting article notes five common mistakes that are made in connection with the Family & Medical Leave Act.

  1. Failing to verify employee leave eligibility
  2. Failing to notify employees of their rights under the FMLA
  3. Failure to verify that an employee has a serious health condition
  4. Requiring too much or too little medical information
  5. Failure to reinstate an employee to the same or equivalent position

I'll add a few of my own....

  1. Failing to understand how FMLA can coordinate with absence policies and PTO
  2. Forgetting that many states have their own "mini" leave acts
  3. Not centralizing the management of FMLA in one area with knowledgeable professionals so that it can be administered fairly and consistently.