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Employee, Supervisor and HR Liaison Responsibilities under The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Employee Responsibilities under FMLA
Employees have certain responsibilities to fulfill if the leave taken is to be granted or designated as FMLA leave. In general, employees must:
- provide 30 days’ advance notice of the need to take FMLA leave when the need for leave is foreseeable;
- provide sufficient information (usually a certification form) in a timely manner so that the department may review for FMLA eligibility;
- inform the department if the requested leave is for a reason for which FMLA leave was previously taken or certified;
- provide re-certification of condition if requested by department; and
- maintain appropriate contact with your department regarding your return-to-work status
An employee’s failure to provide information in a timely manner may result in the delay or denial of FMLA leave.
Supervisor Responsibilities under FMLA
Supervisors are an important first step in the FMLA leave process. Specifically, supervisors will need to notify the department’s leave administrator when an employee’s absence “triggers” a potential need for FMLA leave. This need could be evident when an employee:
- notifies the supervisor of their own or a spousal pregnancy, that his/her family will be adopting a child, or that the family will be receiving a child from foster care;
- misses more than 3 (three) continuous days of work;
- misses work due to a chronic health condition (i.e. diabetes, migraine headaches, etc.);
- is placed in a hospital or day care facility for any length of time; and/or
- is needing to care for a covered member of the armed forces, or is having to be absent from work due to a covered member’s being called to active duty.
Remember that the triggers listed above will include an employee’s missing work to care for a child, spouse, or parent suffering from a serious health condition. The department’s leave administrator must be notified immediately if any one of the instances listed above occurs so that the leave can be reviewed for FMLA eligibility. FMLA law mandates that we act in a timely manner after one of the triggers above has become evident.
HR Liaison Responsibilities under FMLA
The duties of a department FMLA administrator will vary according to each department, but the main duties may most likely consist of:
- ensuring the department’s compliance with the FMLA;
- overseeing employee FMLA leave balances and periodically reviewing for accuracy;
- training supervisors and managers on FMLA where necessary;
- communicating with Human Resources if questions arise regarding FMLA leave; and
- distributing packets of information to employees who may need FMLA leave
Human Resources offers extensive training through Employee and Organizational Development for liaisons who are responsible for administering FMLA leave.
Contact Information
Total Compensation – Benefits Office
