{"id":194030,"date":"2021-02-26T12:30:41","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T17:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/?p=194030"},"modified":"2021-08-31T06:25:46","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T10:25:46","slug":"fmla-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/fmla-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"The Five Safeguards to Prevent FMLA Abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave with the maintenance of group health benefits. Once the employee returns from FMLA leave, HR must restore them to their old job or an &#8220;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/cfr\/text\/29\/825.215\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">equivalent job<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">With FMLA, employees have a better chance of maintaining an optimal work-life balance. The Act itself is gender-neutral and seeks to promote equal employment opportunities by eliminating gendered caregiver expectations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In this blog, we&#8217;ll walk you through leave entitlement under FMLA, employee abuse of FMLA leave, safeguards against FMLA wilful violation and FMLA violations by employers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2>Leave Entitlement Situations under FMLA<\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">First, let&#8217;s define what is considered a &#8220;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/agencies\/whd\/opinion-letters\/fmla\/fmla-87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">serious health condition<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8221; according to the FMLA:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Incapacity for more than three days with continuing treatment by a health care provider<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Pregnancy or prenatal care<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Certain chronic medical conditions requiring multiple treatments<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A permanent or long-term condition for which treatment may not be effective<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now that that&#8217;s clear, let&#8217;s talk about what types of leaves employees are entitled to under FMLA:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Leave for Employee&#8217;s Serious Health Condition<\/strong><br \/>\n<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If an employee cannot perform their job due to any serious health condition, this can include pregnancy and prenatal care; they are eligible for FMLA.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Leave to Care for a Parent, Spouse or Child&#8217;s Serious Health Condition<\/strong><br \/>\n<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Employees are entitled to leave under FMLA to care for immediate family members with a serious health condition.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Parental Bonding Leave<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Employees are eligible for this leave type within a year of birth, adoption, or foster care placement of children.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Exigency Leave<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If an employee&#8217;s immediate family member is deployed or drafted into the military, they are eligible for FMLA leave to handle certain issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Military Caregiver Leave<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">An employee can take upto 26 weeks of FMLA leave to be the primary caregiver for a family member who suffers from a service injury. The definition of a family member, in this case, can <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/sites\/dolgov\/files\/WHD\/legacy\/files\/whdfs28mb.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">extend beyond the immediate family<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How does FMLA Abuse Occur?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-194048\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/themes\/veen\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"FMLA Abuse Meme\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-380x380.jpg 380w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-160x160.jpg 160w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-760x760.jpg 760w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-Meme.jpg 1080w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a running gag in the HR community that FMLA during the summer can quickly become the &#8220;Friday-Monday Leave Act&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>While FMLA should be given to employees in need, HR must also keep the best interests of the company in mind.<\/p>\n<p>If you find yourself frequently answering &#8220;Yes&#8221; to the following, you may just have a major situation of FMLA abuse on your hands:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do your employees often take FMLA leaves before\/after a long weekend?<\/li>\n<li>Are your employees taking intermittent FMLA without proper notice and certification?<\/li>\n<li>On being denied vacation requests are your employees applying for FMLA during the same period?<\/li>\n<li>Are your poorly performing employees applying for FMLA to delay the inevitable termination and maintain their healthcare benefits?<\/li>\n<li>Have you ever found your employee moonlighting at a similar job in another organization while on FMLA leave?<\/li>\n<li>Are your employees&#8217; social media posts not aligned with their reasons for taking FMLA?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are just some common scenarios that we were able to come up with but we&#8217;re sure there are many more situations that you may have faced. Reach out to us <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/harmonizehq\/\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@HarmonizeHQ<\/a> and let&#8217;s exchange stories.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Prevent FMLA Abuse?<\/h2>\n<h3>FMLA Abuse Safeguard #1: Enforce a Call-In Policy<\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A call-in policy is an integral part of every\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/your-guide-to-creating-and-managing-a-leave-policy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">leave policy<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. At the bare minimum, it should have the following information about a planned absence:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The<strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Time<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0within which an employee should report an absence\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Who<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0employees should report the absence to<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">How<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0employees report the planned absence\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What Information<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0should employees include in the call-off<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>Having a call-in policy in place can help HR monitor employee abuse of FMLA leave and minimize workforce allocation issues.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>When it comes to FMLA leave call in-policy, employees need to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Give 30 days advance notice, whenever possible\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Share pertinent information with the employer for them to classify it as an FMLA leave<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Provide medical certifications within 15 days of the employer&#8217;s request\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Inform the employers if this is part of an intermittent FMLA leave that was previously approved<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">HR enforcing a strict call-in policy is the first safeguard against FMLA fraud. It indicates to employees that opting for FMLA leave isn&#8217;t a magic bullet for unannounced leaves and can be open to scrutiny.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>FMLA Abuse Safeguard #2: Ensure Certifications Are up to Scratch<\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The medical certification form is the best tool to minimize FMLA abuse. It is where a doctor certifies that the employee or their immediate family suffers from a serious health condition. The employee must procure this certification from their health <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">service provider within 15 days of the employer&#8217;s request.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-194051\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/themes\/veen\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-1.jpg\" alt=\"FMLA Abuse 1\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-1-380x253.jpg 380w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-1-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-1-760x507.jpg 760w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-1-600x400.jpg 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The US Department of Labour has a\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/sites\/dolgov\/files\/WHD\/legacy\/files\/WH-380-E.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">medical certification format<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0that HR can opt for. But in case any party needs to make their own, any FMLA certifications must include the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Contact information for the health care provider<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The date the serious health condition began<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The possible duration of the illness<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Any additional medical information that can be released legally and is pertinent\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Information regarding why the employee cannot perform the functions of their job<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The care that needs to be provided in case its FMLA leave taken for an immediate family member<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In case the employee wants to opt for intermittent FMLA leave, information showing the medical necessity and the dates of the planned leave<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Employees can often use medical certifications to circumvent the system.\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">How do they do that, you may ask?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If a single doctor is making a suspiciously large number of FMLA medical certifications for your employees, it probably is a scam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Falsifying medical certifications to their convenience could be another method.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The penalty for falsifying FMLA certifications needs to be discussed with employees while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/create-a-successful-onboarding-sequence-for-new-hires\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">onboarding<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In any case, when something is certified by a third party, HR tends to take it at their word. But if they have any reason to question the validity of any medical certification, there are ways to authenticate it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Authentication of medical certification<\/span><\/h4>\n<h5><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Clarifications\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If the employer has received all the information listed above, they have no right to ask for any additional information. But an HR can reach out to the health service provider to authenticate the certification and pose any questions for clarifications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Second Opinion<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The initial medical certification is paid for by the employee but if the employer needs a second opinion, they need to pay for it themselves. They can&#8217;t opt for their regular health service provider in this case.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Third Opinion<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If the second opinion differs from the first, a third can be opted for at the employer&#8217;s cost. The employer and employee need to decide on which health service provider would be best. The third opinion is final and isn&#8217;t up for debate by either party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Clearly, if obtained within the right time frame, a medical certification is a great way to eliminate FMLA abuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>FMLA Abuse Safeguard #3: Recertify if Required<\/h3>\n<p>Recertification is an excellent way to keep FMLA abuse under control. However, be careful while employing this. Requiring too many recertifications can make employees feel that the company isn&#8217;t supportive and lead to attrition in the future.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Under normal circumstances, recertification is only required to reverify the health condition at the start of a new year and when the reason for FMLA leave changes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Generally, employers cannot request recertification before 30 days. However, employers can request them if:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The employee needs a leave extension\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The reason for FMLA leave has changed considerably<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The employer has doubts about the employee&#8217;s reason for FMLA leave<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Irregular intermittent leaves\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Recertification is also subject to second or third medical opinions if required. Our only tip here would be to limit periodic recertifications. They may come at a considerable cost to the employee and lead to employee disengagement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>FMLA Abuse Safeguard #4: Analyze Leave Patterns<\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Analyzing leave patterns is an important method of preventing FMLA abuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Consider the following situations:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Do your employees frequently take FMLA leaves before\/after a long weekend?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On being denied vacation requests, are your employees applying for FMLA during the same period?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">HR can zero in on these irregularities by digging deep into leave analytics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">We don&#8217;t want to toot our own horn, but\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">AttendanceBot<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> has a leave dashboard that HR can use to find these FMLA discrepancies easily. Reach out to us for a demo, and we&#8217;d love to take you through its features.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But getting back to the point, if HR feels that employee leave patterns are suspicious, they can reach out to the employee&#8217;s physician to confirm if the pattern is consistent with their illness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Although the physician is likely to say that it is, it lets employees know that their requests are being monitored. But do ensure that this monitoring does not amount to harassment because that can lead to an <\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/elc.mofo.com\/topics\/FMLA-Leave-in-the-Digital-Age-When-Contacting-an-Employee-on-FMLA-Leave-Constitutes-Interference.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">interference claim<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-194054\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/themes\/veen\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"FMLA Abuse 4\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-380x254.jpg 380w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-1160x774.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-760x507.jpg 760w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-1600x1068.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-4-600x400.jpg 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>FMLA Abuse Safeguard #5: FMLA Leave Scheduling<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';\">Employees need to give 30 days&#8217; notice for any foreseeable FMLA leave. In case the employee fails to do so, employers can delay the leave for 30 days after the application date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';\">This safeguard is only applicable for limited situations. For example, in a scheduled non-emergency medical treatment, the employee must provide reasonable advance notice. If they don&#8217;t, the employer can request a reschedule based on workforce requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>In case of planned FMLA leave, it is in the best interest of both parties to try and schedule it when there are minimal disruptions in company operations. For this to be applicable, employees need to be informed and incentivized for it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What Are FMLA Violations by Employers?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Although we&#8217;ve spent most of this blog talking about FMLA fraud by employees, it is important to note that FMLA violations by employers is also a major concern. Inadvertent and wilful FMLA violations can give rise to costly lawsuits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Although this list isn&#8217;t exhaustive, these are some of the FMLA violations that companies could make:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Not Recognizing an FMLA Request\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Employees don&#8217;t have to use the term &#8220;FMLA&#8221; to request leave under it. The manager&#8217;s responsibility is to look at the request, understand the category, and abide by FMLA law.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If the employee mentions a serious health condition and the manager doesn&#8217;t recognize this as FMLA qualified, it is a compliance issue. If they penalize them for an emergency leave, it will leave the company open to a lawsuit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">HR needs to go out of its way to ensure that managers are trained to recognize FMLA leaves in any circumstance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Disciplining Employees for FMLA Leave<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It is illegal to fire an employee for opting for an FMLA leave, and most companies steer clear of this. But there is a grey area where managers or co-workers may harass employees once they return from FMLA leave. Employers can also make the mistake of holding back promotions due to frequent intermittent FMLA.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">All this can amount to expensive and long-drawn lawsuits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Requiring an Inappropriately Long Call-In Period\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Workforce requirements can be a task to juggle with frequent FMLA leaves by employees. But that doesn&#8217;t mean that we can ask them to give necessarily long call-in periods for FMLA leave. The law stipulates 30 days, at most and anything more than this is unlawful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Failure to Recognize Qualifying Reasons for FMLA Leave<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Perhaps the worst FMLA violation of it all. If a company rejects a genuine claim for FMLA leave, they lose both employee goodwill and possibly a large sum of money for non-compliance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>These are just some of the FMLA violations by employers. As we sat down to write this, we realized just how exhaustive this topic could be. We&#8217;ll be sure to write a dedicated blog post about FMLA violations by employers soon.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-194052\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/themes\/veen\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"FMLA Abuse 3\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-380x254.jpg 380w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-1160x774.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-760x507.jpg 760w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-1600x1068.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/blog.attendancebot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/FMLA-Abuse-3-600x400.jpg 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Are These Safeguards Enough to Prevent FMLA Abuse?<\/h2>\n<p>For the most part, they should do the job of limiting FMLA fraud. But the best way to prevent it is for the company to have such a strong connection with the employee that they wouldn&#8217;t dream of hoodwinking it.<\/p>\n<p>But that&#8217;s a fairly unattainable dream for most companies so these should do the job of preventing FMLA abuse. If you have any more FMLA abuse strategies that you&#8217;d like to share, do reach out to us <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/harmonizehq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@HarmonizeHQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave with the maintenance of group health benefits&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":194038,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leave-management"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.8 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The 5 FMLA Abuse Prevention Safeguards | AttendanceBot<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"FMLA abuse can take a toll on workforce allocation. It&#039;s the responsibility of HR and management to prevent it. Find out how here&gt;&gt;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attendancebot.com\/blog\/fmla-abuse\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Five Safeguards to Prevent FMLA Abuse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"FMLA abuse can take a toll on workforce allocation. It&#039;s the responsibility of HR and management to prevent it. 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