FMLA requires covered employers to provide employees with unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons (such as a parental leave). This leave consists of up to 12 weeks (26 weeks for military caregiver leave) in any 12-month period. The FMLA unpaid leave is permitted for various specified purposes, including the birth or placement of a child. The leave also requires that the employee be returned to their original job or one with identical or better pay and benefits, should they wish to return. Health insurance coverages also continue to apply while on leave per FMLA guidelines.
Employees may be able to substitute and/or supplement their unpaid FMLA parental leave with paid vacation and/or sick time, use paid parental leave if they qualify, or use earned leave the Voluntary Leave transfer Program, the NIH Leave Bank, and other applicable programs. How does your organization plan and execute your parental leave development? How do you track and manage FMLA compliance and other relevant local, state, and federal guidelines?
Beyond navigating the complexities of regulatory compliance for paid and unpaid leave programs, maintaining a program that is competitive with other employers in your market segment is essential to recruiting and retaining talent. Communicating these benefits to ensure usage, understanding, and transparency is critical to employee satisfaction and team cohesion. MMA ADL specializes in parental leave development, FMLA compliance advisory, benefits communication and engagement, and more.
