Employers have struggled with logistical and employee relations challenges related to the Family Medical Leave Act since President Bill Clinton signed the legislation into law a decade ago.
To help employers calculate and better track certain FMLA leaves of absence, the law firm Fisher and Phillips LLP has developed a smartphone and tablet app. The Beta FMLA Leave Calculator app will allow HR professionals and other managers to calculate basic leave requests and determine how much FMLA leave an employee has available.
"The FMLA is a complicated law and FMLA leave calculations can be challenging for employers," said Roger Quillen, Fisher & Phillips chairman and managing partner. "Our attorneys frequently field questions about calculating FMLA leave."
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Fisher & Phillips is providing the free app to anyone needing help with basic FMLA leave requests. The beta version covers requests for leave for employees working a standard 40-hour work week. The next version will cover more complicated situations such as employees working reduced work weeks.
Attorneys said one of the biggest employer complaints about FMLA is the productivity problems caused by employees' use — and abuse — of FMLA intermittent leave. Employees with chronic health problems often take FMLA leave in short increments of an hour or less.
The app reports:
- Number of days of FMLA leave available;
- When the employee should return to work based on the new leave request;
- How much leave the employee has remaining after the current leave request is completed; if leave has been exhausted at the time of the request, it will indicate as much.
The app can be downloaded at the Apple App Store or Google Play. On the Apple App Store or Google Play search for "Fisher & Phillips." You can also visit www.laborlawyers.com/FMLALeaveApp to get the app.
Users are encouraged to provide feedback to the firm so their suggestions can help shape future versions.
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