Summary
This checklist serves as a guide for employers to ensure compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) while minimizing potential abuse of FMLA leave by employees. It outlines several best practices that employers can implement, starting with defining the FMLA year, which can be selected from various options such as the calendar year or rolling backward 12-month year. Employers are advised to require written leave requests to prevent abuse and to enforce standard notice requirements for foreseeable leave. The checklist also emphasizes the importance of qualifying employees for FMLA leave, using medical certifications to substantiate claims, and the option to seek second or third opinions if there are doubts about the validity of a certification. Additionally, it covers the necessity of confirming fitness for duty upon return from leave, managing schedules to avoid operational disruptions, and documenting all absences for effective tracking. These practices aim to create a structured approach to managing FMLA leaves within organizations.
