Is it FMLA or the "Friday-Monday Leave Act"? How to Identify and Investigate Employees Who Are Gaming the System

When the FMLA became law in 1993, it was meant to protect employees who truly need leave. Over time, some employees have learned to game the system, but the law still gives employers tools and guidelines to fight FMLA abuse.

This 60-minute FMLA abuse webinar covers the key parts of the FMLA and which companies and employees it applies to, the most common forms of abuse, and the practices and patterns that may signal a problem.

You'll also review important FMLA cases and how they shaped the law on abuse, learn five key steps to an effective FMLA investigation, and pick up best practices to eliminate or at least reduce the chance of abuse.

• Describe the FMLA and what it means for companies and employees
• Identify the most frequent types of FMLA abuse
• Recognize patterns that may indicate abuse and respond to them
• Explain how important FMLA cases have shaped the law on abuse
• Follow five key steps to an effective FMLA investigation
• Apply best practices to reduce the likelihood of FMLA abuse

• Key components of the FMLA and which companies and employees it covers
• The most common forms of FMLA abuse
• Practices and patterns that can reveal abuse
• Key FMLA cases and how to protect your company
• Five steps to an effective investigation
• Best practices for preventing FMLA abuse

FMLA abuse disrupts operations and frustrates the employees who cover for absent coworkers, but responding the wrong way can create legal risk. This session helps leaders uncover abuse, investigate it properly and respond appropriately.

It suits CHROs, HR professionals, generalists and business partners, employment, leave and training managers, line managers and supervisors.

• Chief human resource officers
• Employment managers
• Training and development managers
• HR professionals
• Line managers
• Leave managers
• HR generalists
• HR business partners
• Supervisors

Deborah Covin Wilson, CPLP SHRM-SCP, SPHR, is the keynote speaker at ComplianceKey. She is the recently retired director of organizational development and consulting services, a unit in human resources administration at Georgia State University. With more than 25 years in higher education, she was responsible for training, employee engagement programs, strategic planning, HR communications, and organization development services. Deborah was involved in several University System of Georgia Board of Regents initiatives: She served as chair of the Tuition Assistance Program committee, a member of the Executive Leadership Institute Advisory Committee, and a steering committee member of the Accelerated Leadership Academy.

Deborah is principal of Covin Wilson Associates, an organizational development company that focuses on strategic planning, leadership development, team building and coaching. 

Deborah holds several professional certifications, including the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) from ATD and the Senior Professional in Human Resources from the Society for Human Resource Management, and is a Registered Corporate Coach. She is a 2015 recipient of the ATD Certification Institute's CPLP Contributor Award. Additionally, Deborah wrote an article for T+D magazine titled?When Opportunity Knocks, Can You Walk the Talk?" and was a contributing author of the book Road-Tested Activities. She received a BA in secondary education from Concordia Teachers College and an MSW from Atlanta University.