NEW FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT REGULATIONS
CHANGES GO INTO EFFECT JANUARY 16, 2009
For the first time since its creation in 1993, the Family and Medical
Leave Act (FMLA) is changing.
Some revisions include:
Employer notice. Employers are required to notify
employees of the amount of FMLA leave being charged and the employee’s
paid leave status.
Also, employers are required to notify employees if their FMLA
certifications are incomplete or insufficient and give them the
opportunity to remedy any deficiency.
Employee notice. Employees must follow the
employer’s usual and customary call-in procedures for reporting an
absence, except under unusual circumstances.
Also, the new regulations require employees who request leave for an
approved FMLA case to specifically reference their FMLA case at the time
of their request.
Clarifying “serious medical condition.” The new
rules keep the six definitions of a serious medical condition, but
require health care providers to include some of the details about the
illness, project the number of days employees will be out of work and
the number of necessary health care provider visits.
The Department of Labor has new FMLA forms available for use.
Click here to read the FMLA final rule. Contact your FMLA
coordinator for more information.
NALC Guide to the
Family
Medical
Leave
Act