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R&R Insurance Blog

FMLA: Educating Your Managers On New FMLA Guidelines

Posted by Jane Shevey

family2Can you ensure your response to an employee’s request for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is appropriate, consistent, and includes the appropriate certifications? Have you educated and informed your managers about their role and personal responsibilities in following FMLA guidelines?

Here are key elements of the Family Medical Leave Act that you and your managers should know:

  • The 3 Critical Areas Affected by the New FMLA Regulations
  • New Obligations for Military Leave Amendments
    1. Military Caregiver Leave: Clarifications to the Existing Leave
    2. Qualifying Exigency Leave: Understand the New Leave Provisions
    3. Non-Military Family and Medical Leave Issues Eligible Employees
  • Definition of a 'Serious Health Condition' under the New Provisions
  • Medical Certification Dos and Don'ts
  • Intermittent FMLA Compliance:
    • Who is Eligible?
    • What Employers Can Require?
    • Employer Rights
    • Recognizing FMLA-related Leave Requests
    • Lessons Learned from Court Cases
  • Handling the 'Bermuda Triangle' - the Interplay Between the ADA, FMLA, and Worker's Compensation
  • Curbing FMLA Abuse
    • What You Can - and Cannot Do - When Investigating Potential Abuses
    • Strategies to Minimize Abuse

Get the practical advice and compliance guidance you need to avoid mistakes and protect your company from FMLA lawsuits. Wisconsin companies looking for more information on the FMLA, please contact knowledgebroker Jane Shevey.

Topics: Employee Benefits, Liability, HR Compliance, ADA, and Worker's Compensation, Family Medical Leave Act, Jane Shevey, FMLA

Absence Management: Best Practices and Positive Outcomes

Posted by the knowledge brokers

Injury-at-Work.jpgThe causes of absenteeism are varied, and so is the impact on companies - from decreased productivity to a reduction in profit and morale.

Some employers are finding better ways to manage employee absence. Research shows a direct correlation between these five major employer practices and a better absence management program:

  1. A full return-to-work (RTW) program, starting with a written RTW policy and a list of alternative duties for light duty clearance.
  2. Referral process for employees to health management programs.
  3. A central leave-reporting system for STD and FMLA.
  4. Detailed reporting for disability and FMLA usage patterns, costs etc.
  5. Use the same resource for STD, FMLA and other benefit programs

7 Positive Outcomes of an Absence Management Program

  1. Enhanced productivity
  2. Reduction in lost-time claims
  3. Decreased overall absenteeism
  4. Direct cost reduction
  5. Better return-to-work ratios
  6. Lower workers compensation premiums
  7. Improved employee morale

Employers are recognizing the importance of managing absences, but most have a long way to go in managing their overall presenteeism program.

Implementing strategies to help workers stay healthy is critical to controlling costs. At R&R, we take wellness to a whole new level. Wellness programs will increase the health and longevity of employees and their families –which means that businesses can have a lot of control over their health insurance costs and the productivity of their employees – control that they don’t know they have. At R&R Insurance, we call this program WellCompForLife!

Join our upcoming Work Comp Seminar to learn more!

Topics: Return to Work, Workers Compensation, Employee Benefits, Wellness, Accident Investigation, presenteeism, std, Business Insurance, FMLA, Absence Management Program, WellCompForLife, absence management