Family and medical leave, incl. FMLA (BenefitsLink.com)Headlines re Family and medical leave, incl. FMLA, gathered by BenefitsLink.comMore States to Force Firms to Provide Paid Family Leave; Related Push Would Require Employers to Offer Paid Sick Leave- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Excerpt: "At least 14 more states will mull proposals in this year's legislative session. They are: Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania." (Kiplinger)http://www.kiplinger.com/businessresource/forecast/archive/more_states_push_paid_family_le... FMLA Cheats a Big Concern, Employers Say- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Suspected employee abuse of leave taken under the Family and Medical Leave Act is the No. 1 FMLA-related concern for employers, according to a survey. Forty-two percent of the human resource professionals surveyed said the potential for or suspicion of abuse by employees causes 'extreme difficulty' in administering intermittent FMLA leave. Among other top concerns cited, 38% reported inadequate notification prior to an absence and 28% reported difficulties tracking intermittent...http://www.financialweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080411/REG/32322355/-1/FWDailyAl... Guidance Overview New Jersey Senate Approves Paid Family Leave; Governor Expected to Sign (PDF)- (Found June 24, 2008 ) 2 pages. Excerpt: "Nothing in the amended law increases, reduces, or otherwise modifies any entitlement of an employee to return to employment or rights of the employee to take action under the provisions of the New Jersey Family Leave Act. However, the law provides that if an employee receives family leave benefits from an employer who is not covered by the New Jersey Family Leave Act, the employer is not required to restore the employee to employment after the period of family...http://www.winston.com/siteFiles/publications/NewJerseyPaidFamilyLeave.pdf Guidance Overview Abstract: How Key Changes to the Federal Family & Medical Leave Act Affect Multiemployer Plans- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Multiemployer plans could be required to maintain health benefits for up to 26 weeks in some circumstances. The Act does not contain any new provisions relating to how multiemployer plans provide health benefits during FMLA leave. The FMLA regulations allow multi-employer plan sponsors to decide how to pay for FMLA health benefits - through either contributions for the individual employee or pooled contributions." (The Segal Group, Inc.)http://www.segalco.com/taft/pub-taft.cfm?ID=792 Opinion HR Policy Association Backs Proposed FMLA Regulations Despite Limitations- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Excerpt: "In comments prepared by our Employment Rights Committee chaired by Northwestern Mutual's Sue Lueger, we noted our support for: allowing FMLA leave to be factored into attendance bonus programs; allowing direct contact between the employer and the employee's health care provider in certain circumstances, where the employee has signed a HIPAA release; permitting employers to require employees to follow reasonable notice procedures before taking leave; clarifying the ability of...http://www.hrpolicy.org/news/news_detail.asp?ID=3502 As FMLA Use Grows, Misuse is Questioned- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Excerpt: "More than three-quarters of U.S. employees know someone who has taken Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, according to a Tell It Now poll by ComPsych Corporation. Of those who said they knew someone who had taken FMLA leave, 6% said they believe the reason for taking the leave was questionable . . . ." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)http://www.plansponsor.com/pi_type10/?RECORD_ID=41077 Guidance Overview New Jersey Legislature Passes Paid Family Leave Bill (PDF)- (Found June 24, 2008 ) 2 pages. Excerpt: "To date, the New Jersey Department of Labor (DOL) has not published regulations to guide employers when implementing the provisions of the paid family leave bill." (Dechert LLP)http://www.dechert.com/library/Labor_and_EB_-_04-08_-_New_Jersey_Legislature_Passes_Paid_F... Guidance Overview Multiemployer Bulletin on FMLA Amendments (PDF)- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Multiemployer plan sponsors should review their FMLA policies, plan provisions and employer reporting rules to assure that the policies accurately reflect the needs of the plan with respect to FMLA implementation." (The Segal Group, Inc.)http://www.segalco.com/publications/bulletins/april08multiFMLA.pdf FMLA Practices and Perspectives: Reactions to the Proposed FMLA Changes and New Military Provisions- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Excerpt: "Forty-nine percent . . . of intermittent FMLA absences are scheduled, but most intermittent leave users (81 percent) are providing no more than a 24-hour notice, and over half give notice the day of the absence or later. . . . It is possible that employers don't agree on what it means for an absence to be 'scheduled,' but clearly by the notice period results, the overwhelming majority of intermittent leave users are providing little, if any, advance notice of their need to be...http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=25672 Federal Employee Paid Family-Leave Plan Is Reduced to Four Weeks- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Excerpt: "A proposal to provide eight weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees was cut to four weeks by a key House Democrat yesterday as Republicans expressed concerns about the benefit's cost." (The Washington Post; free registration required)http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/15/AR2008041502979.html |