The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a brand new FLMA poster and guide for 2016. Regarding this new FMLA guide, attorney and author of FMLA Insights, Jeff Nowack writes:
“While the guide helps explain the FMLA regulations in a user-friendly manner, the Guide primarily is meant to answer common questions about the FMLA, so it leaves unanswered leave issues that continue to frustrate employers in their administration of the FMLA. However, the Guide is likely to have some benefit to employers when administering the FMLA. For instance, the Guide:
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Follows the FMLA regulations and the course of a typical leave request in a relative orderly manner.
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Contains easy to follow flowcharts so that employers can better understand the typical FMLA process, including a cute little “Road Map to the FMLA” [yes, I think I just called the DOL “cute”] that provides an overview of the FMLA process. You’ll even find some interactive cartoons along the way to further explain the regulations.
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Includes “Did You Know?” sections to give employers a heads-up on some of the lesser-known provisions and nuances of the FMLA regulations.
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Highlights user-friendly charts and explanation of the medical certification process, including what information is required in certifications.
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Provides a helpful overview of military family leave, which often can be a bit overwhelming to employers attempting to navigate this portion of the FMLA.”
I personally feel that this updated FMLA guide will be very helpful to employers of all sizes. We, here at ‘Audit-Secure Assistant’, are certainly ready and willing to help you with the questions this guide leaves out.
Poster
As for the new poster, you can still use the 2013 poster with no problem. The 2016 version is in ENGLISH ONLY and is not mandatory, but a nice looking, easy to read revision if you are interested. Here is the instruction from DOL:
“All covered employers are required to display and keep displayed a poster prepared by the Department of Labor summarizing the major provisions of The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and telling employees how to file a complaint. The poster must be displayed in a conspicuous place where employees and applicants for employment can see it. A poster must be displayed at all locations even if there are no eligible employees.
A copy of the poster prepared by the Department (WH 1420) is available for your information or for posting in the workplace.
To print a copy please follow these instructions:
- The file is only available in PDF format. In order to view and/or print PDF documents you must have a PDF viewer (e.g., Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® v5 or later) available on your workstation.
- Click on the link for the FMLA poster and wait for it to load into the viewer.
- To print, click on the printer icon within Acrobat Reader. Do not use the browser’s print feature.
The February 2013 version of the FMLA poster is still good and can be used to fulfill the posting requirement.”
Here are the two new items for download from BeAuditSecure.com: 2016 FMLA Guide and Poster (English)
Enjoy and…
Until Next Time, Be Audit-Secure!
Lisa Smith
