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Oklahoma Employers Get
Help Meeting Latest Employee Leave Act Changes
Oklahoma City, OK (January 6, 2009) - In light of recent revisions to the
Family and Medical Leave Act, attorneys with the Oklahoma City law firm of
McAfee & Taft will conduct a full-day seminar, FMLA Master Class: The
Advanced Interactive Workshop for Oklahoma Employers on Wednesday, January
21 at the Marriott Oklahoma City.
Although the Department of Labor issued final FMLA regulations in 1995, it
became apparent to lawmakers and employers that many provisions needed
fine-tuning and clarification. These most recent revisions protect employees
providing care to family members who serve in the military and revise
existing FMLA provisions on required notices, leave designation, defining
"serious health condition," medical and fitness-for-duty certifications,
"light duty," overtime, settlement options, and paid leave substitution.
While they may eventually help clarify both employer and employee
obligations when it comes to protected leave, the complexity and sheer
volume of the changes can be daunting in the short term.
"Many of these FMLA changes will have a sweeping impact on the workplace
policies of Oklahoma employers," says Charles Plumb, partner in the law
firm's labor and employment law department and program moderator. "And given
that so many were already having difficulty understanding FMLA ins and outs,
it just makes sense to spend a day bringing everyone up to speed."
"But we'll go beyond these latest revisions to also clear up confusion
that's been around since FMLA become law, like what's an employer supposed
to do when FMLA and Oklahoma workers' comp laws overlap, and how to deal
with employees demanding intermittent leave," he added.
Ample evidence indicates that FMLA is still a significant danger zone in the
employer-employee relationship. For example, a restaurant manager was
recently awarded $380,000 by a jury after returning from pregnancy-related
FMLA leave to find her boss unwilling to reinstate her. She says he told her
that her decision to have a family cost her her job.
"This kind of thing happens all the time," says Plumb, "when companies don't
fully understand FMLA's broad reach. That's why we agreed to host this
event."
HR managers, employers, and fellow counsel wishing to participate may
register online at
www.HRhero.com/ok-fmla or by calling 800-274-6774.
About The Program Moderators
In addition to practicing law, Plumb edits Oklahoma Employment Law Letter, a
monthly print and online resource for employers statewide. He will be joined
at the FMLA Master Class by fellow McAfee & Taft attorneys Sam R. Fulkerson,
Nathan L. Whatley, and Betsy Wood. Each has many years of experience
counseling Oklahoma employers facing workplace difficulties related to
discrimination and harassment, leave act violations, and other claims.
About The Program Sponsor
FMLA Master Class: The Advanced Interactive Workshop for Oklahoma Employers
and Oklahoma Employment Law Letter are both produced by Brentwood,
Tennessee-based M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC. For 33-years, it has provided
information resources to the corporate Human Resources and legal markets.
Their list of largest clients closely matches the FORTUNE 500 while their
overall customer base includes managers in every industry sector.
Contact: Pete McPherson, 615-661-0249, ext. 8057 or
pmcpherson@mleesmith.com
www.HRhero.com/ok-fmla
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