On their own, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Workers’ Compensation laws can be complicated. But when they interact, even the most seasoned human resources (HR) professional can find it a challenge.
Recently, HRHero and BLR offered a training session, Mastering FMLA, ADA, and Worker’s Comp Overlap: A Virtual Summit for HR Professionals as a refresher on these interactions with a focus on how to adapt and manage their policies and procedures. Realizing this summit would be of value to our member employees with HR and worker’s compensation responsibilities, VML Insurance Programs (VMLIP) paid the registration fee and extended an invitation to our eligible members to join us to participate in this session.
VMLIP hosted this session on Tuesday, March 27, for 32 member employees with HR responsibilities at our offices in Glen Allen.
The session provided information on:
- Key differences between a serious health condition under FMLA and an ADA-protected disability in light of recently enacted EEOC regulations implementing the ADAAA;
- Medical information employers may ask for in support of a request for accommodation under the ADA following FMLA-protected leave;
- How to evaluate whether an accommodation request is reasonable and the types of alternative accommodations employers should consider;
- Solutions to tricky administrative issues, such as tracking FMLA and personal time off or workers’ compensation leave concurrently, and maintaining health-care coverage for employees who are out on leave;
- What to do when an employee runs out of FMLA leave but is still medically unable to return to work;
- Steps employers can take to determine if an employee is fit for duty following a leave of absence;
- How to discipline and terminate protected workers for unrelated policy infractions in a legally defensible way; and much more.
“We offered this session to our members because these laws are very complex individually and even more so when they interact with each other,” said Tina Stevens, director of human resources with VMLIP. “If these laws are not applied correctly, it could lead to an employment liability claim for the member.”
As a bonus, the session offered 5.25 hours of continuing education credit for certified HR employees. Many who attended found the session informative.
- “I enjoyed the seminar and thought that the individuals did a great job of covering all areas and aspects of FMLA. I’ve been doing this quite a while now, however it is always good to get a refresher every now and then to make sure we stay on our toes.” – James C. Fitzgerald, IPMA-CP, City of Waynesboro
- “Thanks again for the VERY informative conference. I found the information to be extremely helpful for administering these very complicated laws.” – Julie Drent, Prince William County Service Authority
- “Thank you for hosting the seminar, we greatly appreciated it.” – Dell Pelzel, PHR, Southeastern Public Service Authority
- “Thank you for inviting me to the FMLA, ADA, WC training. It was very informative…” – Jennifer Sears, City of Hopewell
VMLIP offers more than just coverage. We are partners in risk management. How does your insurer stack up? Having all lines of coverage with VMLIP ensures that your organization is receiving comprehensive coverage and a wide variety of value-added services tailored to Virginia’s local governmental entities. Call for a quote today: (800) 963-6800. For more information on VMLIP visit: www.vrsa.us or follow us on Facebook.
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