Already, FMLA gives your workers up to 12 weeks off each year for birth or adoption of a child, to deal with their own serious health conditions, or to care for an ill child, parent, or spouse. Now, you must also provide leave to employees with spouses, children, or parents who are now serving on (or who have been called up for) active duty in the military. If those loved ones become seriously ill or injured while on duty, you may be required to extend up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave each year.

Plus, the Department of Labor has just published a proposal to revise regulations covering several key areas of FMLA, including notice requirements, medical certification, and the definition for "continuing treatment" of a serious health condition.

Employers around the country are scrambling to comply with these changes. What new policies should you put into place to advise your employees about their new rights? Who determines whether a worker’s loved one suffered an injury severe enough to qualify for the full 26-week leave period? How do you prepared for the massive changes proposed in the just-released regs?

Order this informative 90-minute audio conference recording, as our experts explore the dos and don’ts of complying with these new and proposed FMLA rules. You’ll learn effective strategies for anticipating and managing military-related leave requests, as well as the most troubling mistakes you might make in the process. You’ll also learn about the proposed changes on the table, and how to get ready. Plus, you’ll have the chance to pose questions, via phone or email, for quick answers from two extremely experienced FMLA-savvy attorneys.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• Which service members are covered by the FMLA military leave changes
• What the proposed regs say about light duty, paid leave substitution, and more
• Recommended procedures for responding to new leave requests and documenting your decisions
• What language you should now add to your policies and handbooks to explain the new rules to your employees
• The red flags that trigger your new FMLA obligations, even when employees never mention “FMLA” directly
• How far you should go in checking or investigating leave requests under the new military leave rules (without seeming unpatriotic in the process)
• Steps you can take to be sure you’re in compliance now

Julianne M. Scott, Esq., is an associate in the Los Angeles office of law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP. She represents management in many different labor and employment issues, and she counsels clients on complying with federal and state leave laws and regulations. Scott earned her law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Sarah Taylor Wirtz, Esq., is an associate at the Los Angeles office of law firm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP. She represents management in many different labor and employment issues, and she has drafted comprehensive employee manuals for companies with workplaces in multiple states. Also, she has served as in-house employment counsel for an international food company. Wirtz earned her law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI home page at www.hrci.org.

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