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A bipartisan group of members of Congress have introduced two pieces of legislation that would expand access to paid family leave. The product of two years of work by the House Paid Family Leave Working Group, the twin initiatives would facilitate federal support of state programs.

Once the employer realizes leave might be FMLA-covered, it must send the employee an FMLA eligibility notice. That way, the employee knows how to formally request leave. Failing to send the notice after suspecting the employee is eligible is a separate FMLA violation.

Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during a 12-month period. According to the regulations, employers are permitted to choose from among four methods for measuring the “12-month period” in which the 12 weeks of leave entitlement occurs.

An employee who is taking FMLA leave had the certification paperwork filled out by their chiropractor. They call off several times per week when their spine hurts and claim it as FMLA leave. The documentation they provided specifically mentions that they might be out a couple times per month to attend chiropractic appointments. What is the correct course of action for this individual?

Intermittent FMLA leave is easy for employees to abuse. Fortunately, the FMLA certification documentation that employees must provide is the key to easing the HR headaches that intermittent leave often causes.

An employee failed to turn in his FMLA certification within the 15-day deadline. What should we do? I’ve heard there is a seven-day grace period. Is there a form for that?

We are a small employer with 33 employees. We offer 20 days of parental leave after one of our employees has a baby. Do we have to provide more time off? And would it be unpaid?

When an employee requests FMLA leave or even just asks about leave for a serious health condition, make sure you provide the proper FMLA forms. Never brush off such a request or tell him he doesn’t need to “apply” for FMLA leave. A casual approach can backfire badly.

I have a staff member who has asked if they could use FMLA leave to get dental care for their two emotional support animals. If their psychiatrist provides documentation verifying that these animals are indeed necessary for mental health reasons, should we authorize our employee’s use of FMLA leave?

For FMLA purposes, who qualifies as a health-care provider? Some holistic care providers may not have traditional medical certification.