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Home›Courses›HR Compliance›The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for Supervisors

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for Supervisors

30 minutesENHR Compliance29 CFR Part 825 - Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Quick Answer

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for Supervisors is a 30-minute online course that trains managers and supervisors on administering FMLA leave in compliance with federal requirements under 29 CFR Part 825. It is designed for supervisors, HR professionals, and managers at organizations with 50 or more employees and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

FMLA compliance errors are among the most costly employment law mistakes an organization can make. In 2024, the Department of Labor closed 349 FMLA enforcement actions resulting in over $1.48 million in back wages for affected workers. Beyond DOL enforcement, private FMLA lawsuits carry significant financial exposure - the FMLA allows courts to award liquidated damages equal to lost wages, and supervisors can be held personally liable for violations. A 2024 Second Circuit ruling in Kemp v. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals expanded liability further, holding that merely discouraging an employee from taking leave can constitute a violation even if leave is ultimately granted.

This course prepares your supervisors and managers to handle FMLA situations correctly from the initial leave request through the return-to-work process. Your team will learn to identify qualifying leave reasons, understand employee eligibility criteria, follow proper notification and certification procedures, and avoid common mistakes that lead to interference and retaliation claims. The course covers both standard FMLA leave and military family leave provisions, giving supervisors a complete framework for compliant leave administration.

What You'll Learn

  • FMLA eligibility requirements for employees and covered employers under 29 CFR Part 825
  • Qualifying reasons for FMLA leave including serious health conditions, family care, and military family obligations
  • The FMLA certification process and employer notification requirements
  • Employer obligations for posting, general notice, and rights-and-responsibilities documentation
  • Intermittent leave administration and tracking requirements
  • How to avoid interference, restraint, and retaliation violations
  • State leave law considerations that may expand FMLA protections
  • Return-to-work and job restoration requirements

Who Needs This Training

  • Front-line supervisors and team leads who receive and respond to leave requests
  • HR managers and coordinators responsible for FMLA administration
  • Department heads managing staffing decisions around employee absences
  • Operations managers at companies with 50 or more employees
  • Compliance officers overseeing employment law adherence
  • Business owners and executives at FMLA-covered organizations

Regulatory Background

The Family and Medical Leave Act (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq., implementing regulations at 29 CFR Part 825) requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for qualifying medical and family reasons, plus up to 26 weeks for military caregiver leave. Covered employers include private companies with 50 or more employees within 75 miles, all public agencies, and public and private elementary and secondary schools. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforces the FMLA, closing 349 enforcement actions in 2024 that resulted in over $1.48 million in back wages. The maximum civil penalty for willful violations of the FMLA's posting requirements is $216 as of January 2025, but the real financial risk lies in private lawsuits where courts can award back pay, front pay, liquidated damages, and attorney's fees. Supervisors can be held personally liable under the statute. Employers must provide required notices including the FMLA poster, eligibility notices, rights-and-responsibilities notices, and designation notices within specified timeframes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Under the FMLA's definition of 'employer,' individual supervisors and managers who act in the interest of the employer can be held personally liable for FMLA violations. This means a supervisor who denies valid leave, retaliates against an employee, or fails to follow proper FMLA procedures could face personal financial liability in a lawsuit, separate from any liability the company faces.
Interference occurs when an employer denies, discourages, or restricts an employee's exercise of FMLA rights - including failing to provide required notices or pressuring employees not to take leave. Retaliation occurs when an employer takes adverse action against an employee because they requested or used FMLA leave. A 2024 Second Circuit ruling established that even discouraging leave without formally denying it can constitute interference.
The federal FMLA covers private-sector employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius, all public agencies regardless of size, and all public and private elementary and secondary schools. However, many states have their own family and medical leave laws with lower employee thresholds. Employers should review both federal and applicable state requirements to determine their obligations.
Employers must provide four categories of notice: the FMLA general rights poster displayed in the workplace, general notice in employee handbooks or written policy documents, an eligibility and rights-and-responsibilities notice within five business days of a leave request, and a designation notice within five business days of having sufficient information to determine whether leave qualifies. Failure to provide required notices can constitute an interference violation.
Intermittent leave allows employees to take FMLA leave in separate blocks of time or on a reduced schedule when medically necessary. Employers cannot deny intermittent leave for a serious health condition when it is medically necessary, but they may require medical certification supporting the need for intermittent leave and may temporarily transfer the employee to an equivalent position that better accommodates recurring periods of leave.

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Organizations building a complete HR compliance training program often pair FMLA supervisor training with Sexual Harassment Prevention for Managers and Workplace Violence Prevention to address the most common employment law exposure areas. For broader workplace compliance coverage, the Workplace Compliance (HR) bundle combines six essential courses into a single employer package.

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$29.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$29.95
10 - 24$23.95
25 - 49$21.55
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $29.95

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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1-800-287-5942 Request a Custom Quote
$29.95
per person