The amount of workers who filed for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) job protection this year has increased by more than 10%, according to a recent report.
The top three reasons workers took FMLA leave in 2010:
- Personal illness/injury
- Caring for a child, and
- Caring for an elderly relative.
The report comes from FMLASource, an affiliate of ComPsych Corp., a provider of employee assistance programs.
One thing to keep in mind as FMLA claims rise: More paperwork means more opportunities for mistakes.
So now’s a good time to make sure your managers are updated on how to handle all parts of an FMLA request from beginning to end — before a botched request lands you in court.
And if managers have any doubts about the validity of a request, make sure they know to contact HR right away. The same applies if they feel a worker’s absence may be FMLA related — even if the worker makes no mention of FMLA leave.
