HR Tip: Two important FMLA documents

ABA's summary of 2018 FMLA decisions

Each year, the American Bar Association's (ABA) Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee publishes a comprehensive report of FMLA decisions handed down by the federal courts in the previous year. This handy report summarizes every FMLA decision from 2018 in a user-friendly manner.

Opinion letter

In a recent opinion letter, the U.S. Department of Labor addressed whether an employee could delay FMLA leave and instead utilize accrued paid leave when the absence clearly would qualify as FMLA leave. The answer was a straight forward "no".

An employer is prohibited from delaying the designation of FMLA-qualifying leave as FMLA leave. Once an eligible employee communicates the need to take leave for an FMLA-qualifying reason, neither the employee nor the employer may decline FMLA protection for that leave.