TOP TEN FMLA ALLIGATORS: Challenges, Tips, and Traps to Avoid Liability

One of the greatest challenges the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) faces in enforcing the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is that too often, employees are unaware that they have rights under the FMLA, or that the FMLA even exists. Even for employees that are aware of the FMLA, there is an additional hurdle. The FMLA is very technical, unwieldy, and can be difficult to understand, even for experienced practitioners.

• The top ten (or more) FMLA traps that land employers in hot water
• Developing sound FMLA policy and practices in your organization
• Employer obligations, and rights under the FMLA
• Communicating with the employee, and with healthcare providers
• Tips on what employers should, and should NOT do under the FMLA
• The ADA interactive process - its importance in FMLA administration

FMLA can be challenging to administer and cause many headaches for HR. This webinar will review the top ten most pressing FMLA mistakes employers make so that you will be in compliance with the FMLA regulations, and able to best administer FMLA leave of absence issues.
Employers should never take a holiday from dealing with the Family and Medical Leave Act's (FMLA) requirements. Legal experts say the law is full of traps that can snag employers that let their guard down, and they recommend that employers shore up FMLA compliance efforts by avoiding common missteps such as:

• Having No FMLA Policy
• Counting Light-Duty Work as FMLA Leave
• Silent and/or Untrained Managers
• Missed Notices
• Incomplete Certifications

• HR Professionals
• Managers
• Supervisors
• Business Owners
• Payroll Professionals

Steven G. Meilleur, Ph.D., SPHR – is President, and CEO – of PRAXIS Management Solutions, LLC, a New Mexico-based management consulting firm specializing in human resources, employee relations, leadership, training & organizational development, organizational research and assessment, strategic & operational planning, and non-profit organization management and governance. Dr. Meilleur has more than 40 years of management and executive-level experience in human resources, risk management, and organizational management in the private non-profit public, and private for-profit sectors. 

Dr. Meilleur also serves as Senior Vice-President and Risk Services Consultant for Human Resources and Employment with Poms & Associates, a national risk services and insurance brokerage firm. His previous work experience includes public, private, and nonprofit organizations, in executive and management capacities.

A member of the faculty of the UNM School of Public Administration in the graduate program, Dr. Meilleur teaches in the areas of human resource management, nonprofit organization management, leadership, dispute resolution, organizational change, and human resource development.  He has spoken at numerous conferences and workshops across the country and is a published author in the areas of human resources, marketing, leadership and management development, organizational change and innovation, non-profit organization management, and board development.