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Are your Family Medical Leave and COBRA forms updated?

The Department of Labor has been busy revising forms with the goal to make them easier to complete.  New Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”) forms were released over the Summer.
The updated FMLA forms allow data to be entered electronically, signed electronically, and defines the guidelines better.



Updated forms include:

·      HealthCare Provider Certification for Employee
·      HealthCare Provider Certification for Family Member
·      Certification of Military Leave
·      Certification of Military Leave for Family Member
·      Certification of Military Leave for Veteran
 
Employers with at least 50 or more employees in a 75-mile radius of the employee’s worksite must comply with the FMLA guidelines. While employers can continue to use the current FMLA forms, employers should review the new forms to determine what works best for everyone.
The COBRA forms have been revised and must be used upon initial enrollment, changes or upon termination of benefits. COBRA generally applies to all private-sector group health plans that had at least 20 employees on more than 50 percent of its typical business days in the previous calendar year.

If you need the updated forms, contact us at [email protected] and we will be glad to send them to you.

What is a “Twindemic”??


Along with a possible second wave of COVID-19, we are now approaching flu season—identified as a “twindemic”. Health experts say that even a mild flu season could overwhelm the healthcare system.  While practicing prevention such as washing hands, disinfecting areas, and working at home may reduce the severity of flu season, there are no guarantees the flu will be mild.
 


Ways to continue to keep employees healthy include:

1.  Encourage employees to get their flu shot no later than October. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body
2. The CDC recommends vaccinations for anyone over 6 months of age, but especially important for those in high risk categories such as;

• Pregnant women
• Anyone age 65 and over
• Anyone with underlying medical conditions

        3. Provide information on where employees can get flu shots
        4. If employees are back at work, offer flu shots by a health care provider
        5. Continue with prevention methods
 
In certain situations, employers can require employees to get a flu shot if their position would put others at a risk of exposure, such as in the healthcare field. Check with your healthcare provider about what resources are offered or contact Human Resource Solutions for more information.