While the U.S. Department of Labor recently issued guidance aiming to make Family and Medical Leave Act compliance a little easier for businesses, figuring out how to avoid violating the FMLA and the numerous laws that intersect with it can still be vexing for even the most sophisticated employers.
Ultimately, employers knowing what they can and can’t do is the foundation for making smart decisions, according to McCarter & English LLP partner Peter Stergios, who says that problems “all stem from ignorance of what the law requires.”
“I think advanced knowledge is key,” Stergios said. “The more you understand and make the effort to understand what the FMLA’s requirements are, the less issues you’re going to have with it.”