On-Site Seminar:
Detroit, Michigan | Wednesday, December 6, 2020

Morning Focus: Mastering FMLA Fundamentals 
Afternoon Focus: Intensive Workshop Addressing the Real-Life Application of FMLA Rules, DOL Regulations, and Court Rulings

Think employee leave management is a one-time policy issue? Be careful! New and confusing regulations, conflicting court decisions, and increasing employee abuse of FMLA protections means family and medical leave will remain one of HR’s biggest management headaches. 

To help you master your obligations and avoid costly penalties, the publisher of Michigan Employment Law Letter has crafted a cost-effective and engaging solution: 2020 FMLA Master Class: Michigan - Advanced Skills for Employee Leave Management. This intensive day-long workshop provides the comprehensive knowledge you need to master real-life issues. Experienced New Jersey attorneys will provide substantive instruction on FMLA compliance in light of new and existing regulations, court rulings, and application of this far-reaching law. You’ll engage with your instructors and your peers, solving challenges you face day in and day out concerning intermittent leave, return to work, employee performance, and much more. 

This event teaches employee leave management essentials while instilling the confidence you need to make the right coverage calls, control abuse and fraud, answer the toughest questions from employees and your executive colleagues, and avoid the expensive missteps that have devastated other employers. 

You’ll enhance your advanced-practitioner skill set when you attend this satisfaction-guaranteed event and learn: 

• How to judge a “serious health condition” the way a real judge would, and eliminate disputes about what does and doesn’t constitute it 
• The latest FMLA revisions, so you don’t risk noncompliance 
• What recent FMLA court decisions really mean, so you can adjust your policies accordingly 
• How FMLA recordkeeping continues to trip up even the savviest human resource managers, and some solutions to avoid similar mistakes 
• How to tame the intermittent leave and reduced schedule beasts, and put a stop to abuse and fraud 
• How FMLA, ADA, and New Jersey workers’ comp laws overlap, so you can avoid violations 
• And more! 

Master Class Agenda

7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Registration
Grab a cup of coffee from our refreshment station, get situated, and get ready to learn!

Part I
Mastering FMLA Fundamentals 

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
FMLA Eligibility: Granting FMLA Leave When It’s Due and Getting It Right under the Rules

Employers often neglect to take the critical first step in administering FMLA leave—determining employee eligibility. Taking defined, consistent steps in determining employee eligibility in the first place helps employers not only properly deny leave when workers don’t qualify, but also grant leave for a period that is reasonable and necessary. Additionally, eligibility for leave to care for covered family members has changed in recent years as the definition of family member has been altered by FMLA regulations, court decisions, and changes in the family structure.

In this opening session, we’ll explain these developments and how to adjust your policies and practices to ensure compliance with the changing regulatory, legal, and practical landscape. 

You’ll learn:

• How to determine FMLA eligibility quickly and easily
• How the FMLA rules and related court decisions define who qualifies as a covered family member
• How to coordinate leave for workers caring for adult children
• The rules related to determining in loco parentis status
• How to coordinate state and federal leave when covered family members differ

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Managing Serious Health Conditions and Medical Certifications 

At the heart of many FMLA leave requests is the serious health condition. The FMLA regulations do offer guidance and allow you to require medical certification, yet there are a multitude of possible reasons for needing FMLA leave. Assessing the information requires keen judgment, and this session will show you how to make these crucial calls. You’ll learn about:

• Illnesses and injuries that may be serious health conditions, even though the regulations say they generally aren’t
• How many health conditions it takes to be “serious”
• How often your employee needs to see a healthcare provider
• What to do if a medical certification is incomplete or unclear
• Your options if an employee or doctor doesn’t cooperate with obtaining the required certifications
• When you may require employees to provide recertification of a serious health condition
• The “do’s and don’ts” of return-to-work certifications