In this week’s issue we will discuss the New Family Medical Leave Act Rules

Family and Medical Leave Act - Covered employers must grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following reasons:

• for the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee;
• for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care;
• to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
• to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

The U.S. Department of Labor says it will publish a proposal on February 11 to update its regulations under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

The department says that the proposal would help workers and their employers better understand their rights and responsibilities, and speed the implementation of a new law that expands FMLA coverage for certain military family members.

"This proposal preserves workers' family and medical leave rights while improving the administration of FMLA by fostering better communication in the workplace," says Victoria A. Lipnic, assistant secretary for the Department of Labor's Employment Standards Administration.  "It also implements a law President Bush recently signed to extend family and medical leave to families of America's soldiers who are suffering serious illness or injury."

Proposed changes include increased notice obligations for employers so that employees will better understand their FMLA rights, while revising the employee notice rules to minimize workplace disruptions due to unscheduled FMLA absences.

The department says the proposal will also contain technical changes to reflect decisions by the Supreme Court and lower courts. A new section addresses recently enacted legislation to expand the FMLA entitlement to 26 workweeks for certain military family members caring for a service member with a serious illness or injury.

For years, employers have been lobbying for changes to FMLA rules and waiting for the department to publish revised regulations. In December 2006, the department did publish a Request for Information, seeking comments about on a series of questions covering intermittent FMLA leave, the definition of "eligible employee" under FMLA, the definition of "serious health condition" under FMLA, leave determinations/medical certifications, and other FMLA topics.

The department released a report in June 2007 based on the more than 15,000 comments it received, saying the comments highlight that unscheduled intermittent leave is the single most serious area of friction between employers and workers.

"It's time to update these regulations--to reflect court decisions, clear up ambiguities and address issues that weren't contemplated when the regulations were first issued in 1995," said Lipnic. "This proposal is the result of a thoughtful, careful process that included a Request for Information with 15,000 public comments in 2006, many conversations with stakeholders, and the department's experience in administering and enforcing the law."

Source: http://hr.blr.com/news.aspx?id=77925

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Description

Avis Budget Group, a global leader in the travel services industry is searching for a year round Human Resources Intern to join our field HR team based in Parsippany, NJ.  This exciting internship contributes to the company's success by working in various HR functions and assisting with recruiting, organizational development, training and safety initiatives.    

Qualifications:

• Must currently be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate college program
• Current cumulative GPA 3.0 or higher
• Must be available to work at least 20-25 hours per week during school semesters
• Must be available to work 30-35 hours per week during the summer and breaks

How to Apply

Indeed.com

Coming Up:

Next SHRM Meeting: February 12

Career Fair: February 26