labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Already in 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor has implemented the most sweeping changes to the FMLA or federal Family and Medical Leave Act in its 15-year history.

These changes went into effect on January 16, 2009. The complete changes are complex, but here is the crucial information that employers need to know.

Required and Optional Paperwork

First, and perhaps most importantly, employers are required to give a Notice of Eligibility to any employee when it is believed that the employee may have an FMLA-qualifying absence. The employee does not have to request FMLA or mention the words FMLA. It is the employer’s duty to make the employee aware of available unpaid leave by giving the employee this notice without being asked.

The new rules change notice and certification requirements under FMLA. The new regulations attempt to clarify communications and information collection between the employer and employee by introducing two new optional medical certification forms. (more…)

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs or OFCCP has updated the “Equal Employment Opportunity is The Law” poster required for nearly every employer in the US.

What are the major differences between the new poster and the older version? There are several. But the most important difference is that the EEOC and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs will no longer accept the old version of the poster. Having an old version posted is the same as having no poster on display, to these federal regulatory agencies. So each employer should update his or her poster immediately.

The new EEO or Equal Employment Opportunity poster reflects a number of changes to the law in the past year. These include changes to (more…)