Transcript: Episode 86 – SHRM Credit: FMLA – A Practical Approach to Leave Management
March 16, 2020
Transcript: Episode 87 – Managing Perks
April 13, 2020
Click here for a full transcript of the episode.
This episode is sponsored by MJ Insurance.
In episode 86 of “The JoyPowered® Workspace Podcast,” JoDee and Susan tackle the perplexing issue of FMLA – the Family and Medical Leave Act. Guest and Purple Ink team member Laura North drops by the studio to lay down the basics about the confusing law from the Department of Labor, a topic frequently requested by JoyPowered® listeners.
The Family and Medical Leave Act is a United States labor law which requires covered employers to provide employees with protected positions during unpaid leave due to medical or family requirements. The Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor administers the FMLA, which allows eligible employees to take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave during any one year period to care for a new child, a seriously ill family member, or recover from a serious illness themselves. This covers public and private sector employees, but in order to be eligible, an employee must have held the position, or another position with the same employer, for at least 12 months, in addition to having worked at least 1250 hours over that period. Employers with more than 50 employees are subject to this law, but some states are beginning to require even smaller companies to uphold the FMLA.
FMLA expert Laura North joins the pod to lay out some best practices for keeping on top of FMLA paperwork – both for the benefit of HR workers and the employees receiving the benefits. The act requires tight paperwork deadlines, and, while most people requiring the benefit will have important things to focus on during that time, it’s important that deadlines are met in order to ensure their eligibility. On top of the paperwork deadlines, the FMLA has three important criteria, and employees must meet each one in order be eligible for the benefit. Proper and clear communication is key in communicating the status of an employee’s claim, so as to not make a tough time even more difficult – for all involved parties.
Best Practices makes a return to the JoyPowered® Podcast today, this time in the form of travel tips for everyone who is required to take trips for work. In this episode’s listener question, JoDee and Susan advise a listener who received a dubious critique from her manager on how best to respond to the criticism. In the news, JoDee and Susan tackle an article from SHRM’s All Things Work regarding upskilling – the practice of company sponsored training, which will be key for any employer looking to compete in today’s tough labor market.
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