If you haven’t done it already, you will want to display the new Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) poster by March 8, 2013. To download a copy of the poster, click here.

As noted in my last blog post, Slow Creep of FMLA Expansion Continues, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued federal regulations implementing statutory changes to the law, a new poster, and three new certification forms. For an in-depth analysis on the regulations and links to the new forms, click here.

The statutory changes were designed to increase coverage under the FMLA for military families and allow airline attendants to avail themselves of the Act’s protection. A few years ago, Congress amended the FMLA to broaden coverage for both military caregiver leave and qualifying exigency leave. At the same time, Congress sought to amend the law to provide added protection for airline attendants, as those individuals who found themselves excluded from the FMLA on a regular basis because of the way eligibility was calculated. The DOL has finally implemented the new statutes by issuing regulations that will be effective on March 8, 2013.

Happy complying…

Michael (Mike) M. Shetterly is the managing shareholder in the Greenville office of Ogletree Deakins. He regularly trains human resources professionals, managers, and/or supervisors on FMLA and ADA compliance. He has also developed FMLA compliance software (FMLA Edge), which launches this spring. For Mr. Shetterly’s lecture schedule on FMLA compliance (“Everything You Needed to Know about the FMLA, But Didn’t . . .”), please click here.