When Congress enacted the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in 1993, the overriding promise to employers was that it would be “a simple program to administer.” Two decades later, however, simplicity has failed to materialize. In fact, with each passing year FMLA and its mandates seem to become cloudier, more complex, confusing — and costly.
Maintaining — and proving — compliance is costly: All but seven states have their own employee leave provisions incremental to federal law and, on average, successful “wrongful termination” lawsuits in breach of FMLA regulation result in damages that range from $87,500 to $450,000, according to the EEOC. Even in cases where the employer prevails, the cost to defending an FMLA lawsuit averages $78,000.
But there’s good news: Done well, effective FMLA management and early intervention can help save money and increase productivity from future disability claim activity, according to new research.
The keys to managing FMLA are:
- Understanding FMLA
- Knowing the latest FMLA Market Trends and Statistics
- Understanding Common Challenges and Pitfalls
- The difference between tracking vs. management
- Proper Employee Communication and Compliance
- Knowing Industry Best Practices
- Building a Business Case; and
- Understanding the Options
United Benefit Advisors (UBA), in conjunction with Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company, is hosting a free webinar, “FMLA: Meeting the Challenge of Compliance and Cost,” for HR professionals and business owners on July 18 at 2:00 p.m. ET. To receive the $149 discount for this webinar enter the code RELUBA when registering. To register, visit: http://tinyurl.com/l5nzzm5.
