Let’s talk about a bad FMLA habit that just won’t die.
Employee submits a certification. The health care provider estimates the employee will need intermittent leave two times per month.
Fast forward a few months.
The employee has a third flare-up.
And somewhere in America, an HR professional, supervisor, or leave administrator proudly announces: “Sorry.
Imagine receiving an FMLA medical certification from your employee, Dan, that has his handwriting all over it except for the physician’s signature. Your fraud radar is screaming, so you want to confirm directly with his doctor whether this document is legit.
But before you can call his doctor to authenticate the document, imagine further that
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Russ, a bus driver, takes medical leave from work on 24 different occasions without following the employer’s call-in procedure, and then preemptively provides medical certification from a local chiropractor who is known to churn out FMLA medical certifications like a grandparent who generously dishes out candy to
Join me for my annual FMLA/ADA webinar, which comes to you, as always, free of charge.
This year’s webinar focuses on how employers can proactively guard against misuse of FMLA and ADA leave.
And there will be singing, plenty of singing.
When: Thursday, December 11, 2025 (12:00 – 1:15 p.m. central time)
Online registration:
There must be something in the water in EmployerLand, USA.
On multiple occasions lately, employers have confessed frustration to me with the lack of information provided by an employee’s physician in an FMLA medical certification or in support of an ADA accommodation.
But their next line is always troubling: “So, Jeff, I just picked up
Here’s a story about Dyamond, who will forever impact the manner in which you review FMLA medical certification.
If this teaser doesn’t have you on the edge of your seat, nothing in this little FMLA blog will.
Dyamond’s Story
Dyamond worked at an assisted living facility run by the State of Illinois (DHS), and she
Your employee, Johnny, is one of your poor performers. Upon receiving his latest written warning, he requests a leave of absence due to anxiety from working in a hostile work environment.
Tell me you’ve seen this one before.
Apparently, Johnny’s boss was guilty of being too direct.
The next day, Johnny texts in a note
The client calls are a regular part of my everyday, increasingly so during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stress. Anxiety. Depression.
The causes are as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Simply put, a growing number of our employees are dealing with serious mental health issues that render them unable to come to work. It’s our
Matt was a correction officer for the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders, which as an aside, sounds like something straight out of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Before I digress further, Matt served as one of the caretakers for his mom, who suffered from dementia and required daily care. Matt sought FMLA leave,
I spend a decent part of my day reviewing FMLA forms, certification and correspondence. Exhilarating, for sure.
When it comes to FMLA notices, do you care hear about one of my big pet peeves? [You: Not really interested, Jeff, but we have the feeling you’re going to tell us anyway.]
It’s an issue that