While New Jersey is expanding and broadening its requirements on employee leave, the federal government may be looking to reduce administrative and compliance burdens on employers when it comes to the federal leave law.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced Wednesday it is planning to revisit its Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations, in part to make it easier for businesses to comply with the law.
The agency issued a Request for Information seeking comments from stakeholders on how it can improve its FMLA rules. The agency said it’s aiming to: (1) “better protect and suit the needs of workers” and (2) “reduce administrative and compliance burdens on employers.”
HR Dive writer Ryan Golden says it’s unclear what DOL plans to do, but comments by an agency official indicate that changes may be coming to the FMLA forms.
“Whether or not the agency ends up making changes to FMLA forms, (branch chief Helen) Applewhaite, in a January webinar, offered tips for addressing pain points in FMLA forms,” Golden writes. “She recommended that employers learn to think like DOL when it comes to evaluating medical certification and also suggested that those involved in leave administration brush up on the forms’ timing requirements…”
