In employment law, a very hot topic continues to be the issues surrounding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. At the forefront of these issues, Dechert LLP's Linda Dwoskin and Melissa Squire recently wrote a series of articles featured in Law360, which highlight the FMLA.

Updating Our Understanding of the FMLA: Part 1

It has been more than 20 years since the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, 29 U.S.C. §2601 et seq., yet employers continue to grapple with a host of challenging issues: compliance with the FMLA's technical requirements, administration of leaves and issues of employee abuse. Failure to fulfill any of the FMLA's complex requirements, be it making a mistake in leave designation or terminating an employee after a leave, even if justified, can generate lawsuits, damage an employer’s reputation and cost thousands of dollars in litigation costs and potential damages.

Read the full version of "Updating Our Understanding of the FMLA: Part 1" (PDF) »

Updating Our Understanding of the FMLA: Part 2

Despite the fact that the Family and Medical Leave Act has been in existence for more than 20 years, administering its myriad technical requirements continues to confound employers. Every year, the FMLA evolves through judicial interpretation and an employer that fails to review and heed these judicial pronouncements does so at its own peril.

Read the full version of "Updating Our Understanding of the FMLA: Part 2" (PDF) »

Updating Our Understanding of the FMLA: Part 3

Every year the courts address a myriad of Family Medical Leave Act issues, sometimes clarifying and sometimes confusing the issues. It is imperative that employers review these cases and attempt to understand and comply with the various judicial pronouncements.

Read the full version of "Updating Our Understanding of the FMLA: Part 3" (PDF) »