The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a new FMLA notice and employer guide. Our Worklaw® Network colleague, Jeff Nowak, a partner with Franczek Radelet in Chicago, is particularly passionate about the FMLA and has prepared a useful summary of these publications on his blog, FMLA Insights.
Jeff reports that the Department of Labor will be issuing a new General FMLA Notice that employers may — but are not required to — post with their other labor posters, “prominently where it can be readily seen by employees and applicants for employment.” At the same time, the DOL produced a new Employer FMLA Guide, a companion piece to the Employee Guide previously published by the DOL. According to the DOL, the Employer’s Guide to the Family and Medical Leave Act (pdf) is designed to “provide essential information about the FMLA, including information about employers’ obligations under the law and the options available to employers in administering leave under the FMLA.”
Jeff’s take on this new resource is available here. Unfortunately, while the Guide answers some common questions that employers might have about the FMLA, it doesn’t address many of the trickier issues that bedevil employers. That said, it may prove to be a useful resource for HR folks who have FMLA responsibilities. There are flowcharts, interactive cartoons, and a “Did You Know?” section in addition to other useful tidbits. You can view and/or download the Employer Guide in pdf here.