Owning and operating a successful business in Florida means following procedures. From onboarding new hires to determining compensation, there are set ways for almost all aspects of how companies operate. One area where they can often make mistakes involves the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Retaliating against an employee
Business leaders often deal with additional stress from the actions of their employees. This pressure often amplifies when an employee takes FMLA leave when you need them working. While this situation is frustrating, your business should never take adverse action against employees who took FMLA leave.
Having no FMLA policy in place
The FMLA is a pillar of employment law. However, this policy does allow companies to choose how they implement certain FMLA-related aspects. Sometimes, businesses forget they control how to define periods for employee time off. Utilizing the say your business has in FMLA policies can help ease the impact of when employees must leave for a bit. After making any FMLA-related decisions, document them right away and let employees know.
Disallowing legitimate FMLA leave
Thinking that FMLA leave is only about your employees is an understandable mistake. However, an employee can be perfectly well and able to work while qualifying for and taking valid FMLA leave. That’s because this type of time-off extends beyond an employee to include their immediate family members. This rule means that issues involving an employee’s children, spouses and parents are all valid reasons for FMLA-related absences.
The rules set forth by the FMLA can feel frustrating to deal with. However, violating these rules can lead your business to face lawsuits while paying fines and damages. Your business may also have angry employees, which no company wants.
