KMA continues its series of blogs on various new state, federal, and local requirements that may affect you operations, HR compliance, and policies and procedures.
The Department of Labor has issued new forms and notices to be used for the Family and Medical Leave Act. This law applies to employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius.
KMA offers insights on this change:
- Changes are relatively minimal and now include a reference to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act with instructions to medical providers not to provide this information on the medical certification forms. The forms must be reviewed and updated every few years and are now set to expire again in 2018.
- Please go to the DOL website (http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/) to obtain the latest versions of these documents.
- The definition of spouse also has been changed under the Family and Medical Leave Act to include spouses in legal same sex marriages throughout the country after the recent Supreme Court ruling that found section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional. Same sex marriage partners will now have the rights for leave as a spouse under FMLA.
- Employers should ensure they are using the latest versions of the forms and are granting leave as required for eligible employees.
Need further help or guidance?
KMA recommends reviewing this change with your financial and operational staff to determine how it will impact your organization over the short- and long term. KMA is here to help you understand the issue and how best to implement changes for your organization. Contact KMA for assistance.