The New FMLA Regulations In A Nutshell: 200 Pages!?! What's In It For Me?

On January 16, 2009, the old, familiar requirements of the Family & Medical Leave Act ("FMLA") are getting a makeover through new regulations designed to update the 15-year-old law. Some revisions explain new elements of the FMLA, including protection for military families to care for injured service members or manage family affairs during "qualified exigencies." Others update familiar terms and requirements, including the definition of "serious health condition," use of paid leave benefits, medical certification procedures, standards for tracking FMLA leave and notice requirements for both employers and employees.

Unfortunately for employers, the final rule implementing these changes covers 200 single-spaced pages in the Federal Register. Already, you're picturing yourself at 11:59 p.m. on January 15, frantically reading and realizing there's no way to comprehend everything before the changes take hold. What's an employer to do?

Join Steptoe & Johnson LLP on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 for a focused discussion on how the new FMLA regulations impact employers. We will review the changes that take effect on January 16 and give practical tips on how the new regulations will impact existing policies and practices. We also will discuss the questions that employers and employees will be asking as the legal landscape of FMLA shifts. What is a "qualified exigency?" How much leave must an employer provide for military caregivers? Are employees entitled to substitute paid leave benefits during FMLA leave? What kind of FMLA eligibility notice must be provided to employees? How much information may employers require from employees requesting military or medical leave? The "usual" answer may not be accurate under the new law.

One thing is certain: employers must examine and likely revise their policies and practices to both comply with the updated FMLA regulations and take advantage of the benefits they offer. Military-related leave may not be addressed in your current policies, and both employers and employees will have questions about its availability and limitations. Notice and certification forms must be updated and personnel should be trained to respond to inquiries under changed guidelines. Proactive employers may find the new regulations give some relief for many common difficulties in the administration of FMLA leave.

You may join us either in person or via teleconference and web presentation on January 14, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. MST for our complimentary overview and analysis of the FMLA, presented by Sandra Sanders and Alexis Pheiffer of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

In the meantime, if you have questions about the new FMLA regulations, contact Sandra Sanders, Labor & Employment special counsel, ssanders@steptoe.com, or Alexis Pheiffer, Labor & Employment senior associate, apheiffer@steptoe.com, at Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

The New FMLA Regulations In A Nutshell: 200 Pages!?! What's In It For Me? Seminar or Webinar

Date:                   Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Time:                  1:30 pm MST/3:30 pm EST
Live Location:   Steptoe & Johnson LLP 
                            201 E. Washington St., #1600
                            Phoenix, AZ 85004
Teleconference & Web Presentation: Details to follow at a later date.
RSVP: To register, please click here. (For friends and clients of Steptoe & Johnson LLP)