Essential Guide to Family & Medical Leave [Paperback]

Lisa Guerin J.D. (Author), Deborah England (Author)

Book Description

Series: Essential Guide to Family & Medical Leave | Publication Date: July 14, 2009

All of the information and forms managers need to comply with family and medical leave laws—in a stepbystep, easyto use format.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An easy-to-read-and-apply guide for all of your FMLA questions. (Caron Pearce Excelligence Learning Corporation 20090208)

"An easy-to-read-and-apply guide for all of your FMLA questions." (Caron Pearce, Human Resource Director, Excelligence Learning Corporation 20090101)

"Useful to everyone trying to comprehend the issues and follow the rules." (Booklist )

Useful to everyone trying to comprehend the issues and follow the rules. (Booklist )

About the Author

Guerin, an editor/author specializing in employment law, is author or co-author of several Nolo books, including The Manager's Legal Handbook, Dealing with Problem Employees, Nolo's Essential Guide to Federal Employment Laws, Workplace Investigations, Create Your Own Employee Handbook, and Nolo's Guide to California Law. Guerin has practiced employment law in government, public interest, and private practice where she represented clients at all levels of state and federal courts and in agency proceedings. She is a graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley.

Deborah England is a litigator with 20 years employment law experience. She has published numerous articles and essays on employment and civil rights law, and frequently speaks on these topics before legal and HR professional organizations. England makes her home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Nolo; Second Edition edition (July 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1413310338
• ISBN-13: 978-1413310337
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Law > Specialties > Labor Law

More About the Author

Lisa Guerin, an editor/author specializing in employment law, is author or co-author of several Nolo books, including The Manager's Legal Handbook, Dealing with Problem Employees, The Essential Guide to Federal Employment Laws, Workplace Investigations, Create Your Own Employee Handbook, and Nolo's Guide to California Law. Guerin has practiced employment law in government, public interest, and private practice where she represented clients at all levels of state and federal courts and in agency proceedings. She is a graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This NOLO Book Prepares You for an FMLA Situation, August 3, 2009

By 

Citizen John (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Essential Guide to Family & Medical Leave (Paperback)

(What's this?)

The Family Medical and Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, amended in 2008, makes it possible for employees under certain situations to take unpaid leave, keep their benefits and protect their jobs.

FMLA has applied to me as an employee, and even though I am not an HR professional, I have a role to play in its application at work. This law affects a lot of people.

FMLA doesn't apply to all companies and not all employees are eligible. Many states provide additional coverage and modified definitions. Further, the employee and employer are required to meet certain communication standards (here's an area where many of us have not complied). You need just one good, comprehensive book, along with the requisite forms and spreadsheet, to avoid the minefield. This is it.

Employers absolutely need this book. Compliance with FMLA is not voluntary. Situations occur where FMLA applies. Employees should know their rights and how to exercise them. Each side should be responsible to be informed as needed. In the overwhelming majority of cases, neither side will need to consult with an employment attorney, provided they can use this one book. That's real value.

The authors, employment attorneys Lisa Guerin and Deborah England, convincingly demonstrate this is not something to manage ad hoc. Their concise book is 496 pages, significantly longer than their 1st edition before the law was amended. This book was written in such a manner as to be the one resource you need when an FMLA situation occurs. You can then follow the procedures presented in a simple manner, and also use the necessary forms on the CD. Separately, you can read this book prior to an FMLA situation just to make sure you have a foundational understanding.

10 Steps to FMLA Compliance: This book presents us with 10 Steps to compliance, and the chapters flow from there. This is an excellent way to present the material because the 10 Steps are in logical sequence. If FMLA does not apply, you may discover it in Step 1 or Step 2, for example, and conclude your case. There are slightly more chapters than Steps. That is because some definitional chapters are needed. An example is Chapter 4: What is a Serious Health Condition?

The CD - ROM contains all the useful fillable forms an employer would need, a very useful spreadsheet for the calculations and documentation, and audio files to use as teaching tools. The CD is going to be very useful.

The authors created a beautiful index and appendixes that are truly useful and well-written. I cannot imagine a more accessible book on this subject.

Considering the new frugality imposed on business, one cannot call an employment law attorney over every matter. Economic realities force us to become more productive. Compliance with FMLA is properly done in-house. This NOLO book along with the CD makes it possible.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Users Guide for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), August 9, 2009

By 

W. DEMEDIO "Wizard Extradionaire" (Oz) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essential Guide to Family & Medical Leave (Paperback)

(What's this?)

Once again Nolo has published a fine legal guide. This one deals with the Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA for short, a federal statute that applies to many employees of mid size and large companies, businesses, and government. It allows for Maternity leave, care of sick relatives, time off when sick, and similar issues. The book is essentially a guide to who can apply for this leave, how it is done, rules regarding requesting the leave, and especially how to stay out of trouble. If not done properly, FMLA can get you fired. On the flip side, an employer can face a wrongful termination lawsuit if they handle the administration of the leave wrong. The book even includes Military Applications of FMLA. I recommend this book for both the employee and employer working in human resources to be sure FMLA is handled appropriately. It also includes an easy reference CD in a pouch. I have read several Nolo reference guides and they all provide superb advice and guidance written by experts in the field.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview for employers and employees, August 5, 2009

By 

Dr. Stuart Gitlow (Providence, RI United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essential Guide to Family & Medical Leave (Paperback)

(What's this?)

Nolo Press has long been known as a superior resource of legal issues for those without legal training. Here, Nolo has brought out their second edition of their FMLA resource. The Family & Medical Leave Act first came about in 1993 but naturally has been modified in the years since. This edition covers all the changes through the 2008 amendments.

The text is written primarily for a reader with the employer's perspective, but I suspect that a large number of readers may be employees interested in taking a leave of absence under FMLA. While the text is not written for the physician, nearly all physicians must from time to time assist patients who are asking for a medical leave; the book is equally useful in helping physicians learn how to be helpful to such patients.

In any case, the text is laid out in a neutral manner that will prove helpful for employers, employees, and physicians alike. It clearly covers the requirements which must be met by all parties through which both sides can be satisfied that the legal equation has been properly met. I found it interesting that intermittent leave is covered by FMLA for individuals suffering from migraine or other similar medical difficulties that arise briefly, unexpectedly, and in a potentially impairing manner. Naturally, the 2008 amendments are covered in detail as well, with particular attention to the issues at hand when a family member is ill as a result of active military duty.

The book includes a CD-ROM with the various required forms. Again, this is primarily helpful for the employer, but employees may find the forms and descriptions instructional as well. The CD-ROM will work on both Macs and PCs, though Nolo only provides support for PC users. Hopefully this will change in the future given the increasing number of employers who base their computer systems on the Macintosh.

In summary, this is a must-read for HR personnel desiring a strong introduction or review of the FMLA, and is highly recommended for employees finding themselves in a situation where knowledge of the FMLA vagaries would prove useful. As with any legal employment-related issue, there are potential problems that can arise for both employers and employees; the text helps both sides work their way through the issues via clear explanation and case vignettes.