Family and Medical Leave Survey—Executive Summary

Ninety-one percent of respondents to an International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans survey indicated that they are subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Of those respondents, 84% offer some type of paid family and medical leave. Seventy-six percent of those who offer this paid leave make it available for an employee’s own serious illness. Forty-eight percent provide paid family leave for the care of a newborn, newly adopted child or newly placed foster child. Some employers that offer paid leave grant it for situations beyond those specified in FMLA.

Handling intermittent family and medical leave is identified as a challenge by the majority of employers that responded. Seventy-five percent of the survey’s respondents cited handling intermittent leave as one of the most challenging aspects of FMLA.

Family and Medical Leave [Order Now] is the latest installment in the International Foundation’s Survey & Sample series. The book includes 70 valuable sample family and medical leave policies, forms and checklists. Results are compiled from 241 responses of U.S. corporate benefit managers, public employers and professional service providers. Major findings include:

• Offset Requirements
  Seventy-four percent of organizations require unpaid family and medical leave to be offset by paid leave, such as sick time, vacation time or any other available paid leave.

• Leave for Situations Outside Those Outlined in FMLA
  Twenty-five percent of organizations that allow paid family and medical leave offer it for the care of a seriously ill domestic partner. Twenty-three percent offer paid leave for the care of a seriously ill family member outside what is specified in FMLA, such as a grandparent, grandchild, sibling or parent-in-law. Thirty-one percent offer paid leave for other reasons, such as nonserious health conditions, parent–teacher conferences, medical procedures not covered by FMLA and doctor appointments for family members.

• Unpaid Leave Beyond FMLA Requirements
  Seventy-nine percent of respondents that are subject to FMLA offer some type of unpaid leave beyond the 12 weeks required by FMLA.

• Administrative Issues
  In addition to handling intermittent leave, other aspects of FMLA administration that respondents find challenging include recordkeeping/tracking use of leave; determining what constitutes a serious health condition; communicating with physicians and other health care providers; timely notification of employee rights; determining if an employee is eligible for FMLA benefits; and coordinating FMLA with workers’ compensation, long- and short-term disability, state laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

• Continuation of Benefits
  While continuation of health benefits is mandatory during FMLA leave, employers also commonly continue other benefits, such as life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plans and vacation time accrual.

• Average Length of Leave
  Six weeks was reported by the largest percentage of respondents as the norm for length of FMLA leave.

Family and Medical Leave is approximately 500 pages and is available for $112 (I.F. Members $45), plus shipping and handling. Order a copy online or call (888) 334-3327, option 4. Item #6252. Available in print, e-book (pdf) and CD-ROM formats.