FMLA Forms and Tracking

FMLA, Part 2: Forms and tracking

Learn tips and techniques for handling your FMLA responsibilities.

In the last issue, we discussed three ways that employees may take FMLA.

	An eligible employee is on continuous leave if he or she has been absent for more than three consecutive calendar days for a qualifying reason.
	An eligible employee is on intermittent leave if he or she is taking leave in separate blocks of time due to the same FMLA qualifying condition. This may include leave of periods from an hour or more to several weeks. Examples of intermittent leave would include leave taken on an occasional basis or leave taken several days at a time spread over a number of months.
	Finally, an eligible employee is on reduced schedule leave if the leave schedule reduces the employeeï¿½s usual number of hours per workweek or hours per workday.

It is the employerï¿½s responsibility (that is, supervisors and/or business office staff) to work with the employee to complete the appropriate FMLA paperwork and to accurately track the amount of FMLA time the employee uses. FMLA paperwork includes the following forms:

	Family and Medical Leave Act Notice: This form must be given to the employee within two business days of the leave request or when the supervisor recognizes that FMLA may apply. If you must mail the Notice to the employee, be sure to sign and date the acknowledgement section, make a copy for your records, and then send it to the employee for signature.
	FMLA Medical Certification Form: If the leave is due to the serious health condition of the employee or the serious health condition of his or her spouse, child or parent, the employee must ensure that the patientï¿½s health care provider completes this form and returns it to Employee Relations within 15 calendar days of receipt (or as soon as practicable). Employees working in Physical Facilities or Housing and Food Services should direct medical certifications to their respective Human Resources team.
	Form 33 or Form 33CS: This is the official University form for tracking all staff leaves. For continuous leaves, one Form 33/Form 33CS must be submitted before, during, or immediately following the completion of the leave. For intermittent/reduced schedule leaves, a Form 33/Form 33CS must be submitted each quarter to document the amount of FMLA time used in that quarter.

For some leaves, the process of tracking FMLA leaves is fairly simple and straightforward. For other leaves, particularly intermittent leaves, this process requires additional tracking and may be more complex. Weï¿½ve compiled five helpful hints to assist you in tracking your employees who are on FMLA leave.

1. Help employees help you. At the beginning of continuous leaves, ask employees to notify you if there are any changes to their expected leave dates. For intermittent/reduced schedule leaves, request that hourly employees clearly mark FMLA leave time on their time cards by noting it as such. For employees who do not fill out time cards, ask them to complete a Form 33A or a similar spreadsheet each pay period to document their FMLA time.

2. Calculate along the way. When you receive FMLA leave information each pay period, calculate the FMLA time used and figure the amount of time the employee has left. It is the departmentï¿½s responsibility to track if and when the employee will exhaust his or her 12 weeks of FMLA.

3. Let your computer do the work. Excel databases can automatically calculate the amount of FMLA time an employee uses during a leave. For a template that you can customize, contact Employee Relations at 49-41310.

4. Submit a Form 33 or Form 33CS each quarter. It can be overwhelming to compile and calculate FMLA leave information for multiple months. To help keep leave tracking manageable for business offices and Employee Relations, we ask business offices to submit a Form 33 or Form 33CS for each quarter (January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December) of an intermittent/reduced schedule leave. The Form 33/Form 33CS must include documentation of the FMLA time used and any changes in pay status during that quarter.

5. Stay connected. There are many participants in the FMLA process ï¿½ the employee, the supervisor, the business office, and Human Resource Services. The best way to ensure accurate FMLA tracking is to maintain open communication. Ask employees and supervisors to tell you about any changes in leave status. Notify employees and supervisors when FMLA is nearly exhausted. And utilize your resources in Employee Relations or your Human Resources team to assist you with FMLA-related concerns. Weï¿½re here to help!

- Pat D. Russell, Erin Lukesh, and Stasia Harris
Human Resource Services ï¿½ Employee Relations

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LeadingEdition is an electronic newsletter for Purdue University supervisors. It is produced and distributed by Purdue University Human Resources four times annually. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions relating to the newsletter, please call 49-41679 or email us. Thank you.