Human resource practitioners responding to a survey on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) indicate a high level of support for most of the United States Department of Labor’s proposed FMLA regulations.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 10, 2008 -- Human resource practitioners responding to a survey on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) indicate a high level of support for most of the United States Department of Labor’s proposed FMLA regulations. A total of 450 U.S.-based HR professionals participated in the survey conducted in February and March 2008 by WorldatWork, an association of human resource professionals from FORTUNE 500 and other leading organizations worldwide.
When WorldatWork last surveyed on FMLA practices in 2005, those results were cited throughout the regulations and used as supporting material for some of the proposed changes issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) this past February.
WorldatWork is submitting a comment letter highlighting the results of its 2008 survey, “FMLA Practices and Perspectives: Reactions to the Proposed FMLA Changes and New Military Provisions.”
WorldatWork also commends the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor for holding a hearing today titled, "The 15th Anniversary of the Family Medical Leave Act: Achievements and Next Steps." “I applaud DOL’s leadership in re-examining some of the regulatory provisions of FMLA," said Cara Welch, Director, Public Policy for WorldatWork. “Our members have frequently asked for guidance on how to implement and administer FMLA under the current rules. The proposed new regulations go a long way towards clarifying key issues.”
Key Findings of the 2008 WorldatWork FMLA Practices and Perspectives Survey
- Overall, total rewards professionals support the DOL’s proposed regulations as these will help ease the administrative burden of implementing a very time-consuming and labor-intensive set of requirements.
- Top concerns revolve around suspected employee abuse, lack of advance notice and tracking intermittent leave.
- Employee abuse – Suspected employee abuse is the number one concern about intermittent FMLA leave among total rewards professionals. It is reported to cause extreme difficulty in 42 percent of organizations, greatly contributing to the widespread support of many of the DOL proposed changes that would allow employers to better manage these sometimes frequent but brief absences.
- Lack of advance notice – Forty-nine percent (49%) of intermittent FMLA absences are scheduled, but most intermittent leave users (81%) are providing no more than a 24-hour notice, and over half give notice the day of the absence or even later.
- Leave tracking – While not a federal requirement per se, the need to track intermittent FMLA absences in order to comply with various provisions remains a considerable challenge for participating organizations. Good communication is key to successful FMLA tracking; communication breakdowns, not to mention inadequacies in tracking systems and software, often lead to increased difficulty in managing intermittent FMLA leave.
- The top three “serious health conditions” cited for FMLA leave are:
Elder care/child care issues = 47 percent
Migraines/headaches = 43 percent
- Employers want clear definitions surrounding the military provisions – A large portion of survey respondents do not understand what is meant by “exigency.” A more understandable term would be helpful since the term “exigency” is not intuitive for many total rewards practitioners.
- In addition, the survey found that FMLA processes are consistent across organizations.
- The ‘rolling 12-month period’ – used by 71 percent of FMLA-eligible organizations – is the most popular method for determining the 12-month period.
- Only 58 percent of organizations require use of paid leave when an employee takes an FMLA-qualifying leave; the remaining 40 percent allow use of paid leave.
“Based on the survey results and our own experience, FMLA is working as intended – it provides job security for workers who need some time off at their own expense to handle major life events for themselves and their families,” said Alison Avalos, a practice leader for WorldatWork who managed the survey research. “Since FMLA was enacted 15 years ago, many workforce management strategies have been deployed for managing the unexpected, such as telework, cross-training and flexible work options, so that employees can step in for one another and work can be done from anywhere, any time.”
About the Survey:
The 2008 WorldatWork FMLA Practices and Perspectives survey was conducted in February and March. Surveys were sent electronically to 12,080 WorldatWork members in the United States. A total of 450 responses were received (93% of responding organizations are eligible for FMLA).
Journalists may request a complimentary copy of the full survey report and comment letter by contacting Marcia Rhodes at marcia.rhodes@worldatwork.org or (480) 304-6885.
About WorldatWork®:
The Total Rewards Association
WorldatWork (www.worldatwork.org) is an association of human resource professionals from FORTUNE 500 and other leading organizations worldwide focused on attracting, motivating and retaining employees.
Founded in 1955, WorldatWork provides practitioners with training and education to effectively design and implement strategies and practices in total rewards, including compensation, benefits, work-life, recognition, and career development. With offices in Scottsdale, Arizona and Washington, D.C., WorldatWork supports its 30,000 members and professionals in 75 countries with thought leadership, publications, research and community. WorldatWork administers certification through the WorldatWork Society of Certified Professionals.
This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.
Press Contact:
Marcia Rhodes, APR
Media Relations
WorldatWork
Phone: 480-304-6885
E-mail: marcia.rhodes @ worldatwork.org
www.worldatwork.org
Source: PRWeb: Legal / Law
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