FMLA Compliance in 2026: Managing Leave, Documentation & Employee Abuse Risks

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a labor law requiring employers of a certain size to provide employees with unpaid time off for serious family health issues or situations. Qualified reasons may include adoption, pregnancy, foster care placement, family or personal illness, or military leave. It also provides for the continuation of insurance coverage and job protection while the employee is on leave. The FMLA is intended to provide families with the time and resources to deal with family emergencies, while also guiding employers.

It starts with understanding the basic requirements for employers and employees. Which employers are covered under the FLSA? When are employees eligible for its benefits? Employers are required to inform employees of these rights, as well as keeping them notified after requests for leave are made. Further, employers need to understand how employees certify their illness and schedule the time off.

This webinar is designed to go well beyond the regulatory requirements of the FMLA. Employers need to know what information needs to be kept for proper recordkeeping. Leave calculation can and does conflict and correlate with other Federal Acts such as the ADA and COBRA, and other benefits such as workers compensation. Learn when leave applies to which. You will also know which states have acts that extend other leave rights to employees beyond the FMLA.

Compliance with the FMLA takes a coordinated effort between employers, HR and managers. You must be able to recognize what triggers an FMLA leave request, and the proper actions to take to enroll and certify employees. Complexities are inherent for intermittent leave requests, mental health issues and remote employees. Learn best practices from experts, including a compliance checklist to follow throughout the process from and employee’s leave to work return.

Finally, medical leave is prone to employee abuse. HR and management needs to know how to recognize the most common red flags that suggest you are being taken advantage of. Learn how to identify actions from employees that require investigation. Learn how to respond to employees to hold them accountable. Also find out best practices for preventing FMLA abuse

So Join Mark Schwartz in this informative webinar to be up to date the FMLA and how to effectively and efficiently manage the requirements for your employees.

Session Highlights:

1. FMLA Regulation Summary
   1. General Requirements on Leave Amounts and Qualifying Medical Conditions
   2. Which employees are eligible for the benefits
   3. Which employers are covered by the FMLA
   4. What notices are required by employers for employees – Posting, Eligibility, Rights and Responsibilities, Designation
   5. How employees certify illnesses and conditions
   6. Scheduling and Calculating Leave Hours – 12 month period, accrual and usage
   7. Where to get more information if needed
   8. 2026 updates from state legislative bodies
2. Recordkeeping
   1. What information needs to be kept and available for inspection. – payroll, policies, certifications, acceptance and denial of requests
   2. Confidentiality requirements
3. Interaction with other Federal Acts
   1. How and when to credit leave under each act vs FMLA
   2. ADA, PDA, COBRA
4. Interaction with State Requirements
   1. Requirements of many states that go beyond the FMLA for the benefit of employees. What categories the differences occur
   2. A list of acts by states
5. Complying with the FMLA
   1. What triggers and FMLA request and actions to take
   2. Certification problems such as illness eligibility and length of leave
   3. Incomplete certification and other issues
   4. Intermittent Leave for Chronic Conditions, Ongoing Treatment, etc
   5. Qualifying mental health conditions
   6. Remote and Hybrid Employees
6. How to Handle Employee Abuse
   1. The difference between fraud and abuse
   2. Examples of employee abuse
   3. Red Flags that alert employers to possible abuse
   4. Preventing, Identifying and Responding to abuse

Why You Should Attend:

Who Will Benefit:

• HR Managers & Directors
• Payroll Managers
• Budget Personnel
• HR and Payroll Compliance Managers
• Department Managers
• Fringe Benefit and Leave Staff