Webinar Slated on Leave-of-absence Fraud, Abuse

SPRINGFIELD — Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a labor and employment law firm serving employers in the greater Springfield area, invites business owners, managers and human resource professionals to an informative webinar outlining ways to fight back against leave of absence fraud and abuse.

The webinar will be hosted Feb. 15, 1:30-3 p.m., and hosted by Skoler, Abbott & Presser Atty. John Gannon.

This program is timely because it comes on the heels of a report conducted by TSheets, a time management software provider, which shows wage and hour lawsuits have increased 450{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} over the past 20 years. That same report found 75{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of suits initiated by the U.S. Department of Labor against employers resulted in financial payouts to employees.

“Recently, there has been an excess of FMLA-related lawsuits,” said Gannon. “The jump coincides with an increased number of FMLA leave requests, which is likely due to increased awareness about the law. Employers must comply with the law but also be vigilant to signs of fraud and FMLA abuse.”

Gannon, who Gannon has defended employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination claims, as well as actions arising under the Family Medical Leave Act and wage and hour law, will discuss:

• Keys to identifying FMLA abuse, including patterns of time off requested;
• How to lawfully use surveillance and social media to investigate suspicious FMLA use;
• New laws and regulations from federal or state agencies that may affect FMLA monitoring;
• How much time is enough time to establish a pattern of abuse;
• The importance of training frontline supervisors on FMLA policies;
• When to get a second opinion to determine whether the employee/family member has a serious health condition;
• Once an employee is certified for FMLA, when is it legally acceptable to require certification;
• Call-in policies and procedures as a means to control intermittent leave;
• The importance of requiring notice before time off; and
• Keeping communication open with employees using FMLA.

Those interested in registering for the course can do so online at store.blr.com/fmla-abuse-021517.