Do You Need an FMLA Tracking Software?

One of the hallmarks shared by all successful organizations is that they provide their employees with ample work-life balance. In fact, according to an American study conducted in 2017, approximately 53% of respondents (all employees) said that they considered work-life balance extremely important. And we estimate that this figure is likely to go up in the years to come. But the importance of work-life balance was realized many years ago — 1993 to be exact — when the famous Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed. According to this act, some employers were required by law to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leaves to certain employees. Employees who have children, have to take care of a sick family member or are sick themselves are eligible to get FMLA leaves. While it’s all good for the employees, what are the implications of this act on employers? For starters, they have to abide by all the rules to avoid getting into legal trouble and keep their employees satisfied at all times. Secondly, they need a trusty FMLA tracking software to keep track of everything and avoid manual administrative headaches!

In this article, we will discuss whether the Family & Medical Leave Act applies to your business and the many advantages of implementing a decent software for that purpose over doing everything manually and in an outdated way. Hopefully, by the end of it, we would have cleared any confusions you have and helped you make the right decision.

Does The FMLA Apply to Your Organization?

What most business owners worry about the most is figuring out whether the Family & Medical Leave Act applies to their business or not. FMLA is relevant to “covered employers.” The following two categories of businesses fall under this classification:

· Private Employers with 50 or More Employees

Private companies that have employed 50 or more employees for every working day for a minimum of 20 weeks in the current year or the previous year are considered covered employers. It is required by law for such businesses to grant their qualified employees with FMLA leaves whenever they need them.

· All Public Agencies

The second category of companies on which the Family & Medical Leave Act applies includes all public agencies, regardless of how many employees they’ve hired.

The Undeniable Benefits of Using an FMLA Tracking Software

In case you are about to become a covered employer under the FMLA, you should be prepared for the huge and overwhelming amount of paperwork that is needed to be done in order to keep track of everything. Or you can avoid all of that hassle and simply opt for an automated FMLA leave tracking system!

In case you are skeptical about implementing one in your organization, here are some amazing benefits to expect that will set your mind straight:

· Easily Keep Track of Who Is Entitled to FMLA Leaves

The most notable advantage of implementing a software to keep track of your FMLA requirements/processes is that you can easily keep track of your employees who are entitled to FMLA leaves. A very difficult aspect of managing these leaves is figuring out whether the employee(s) requesting FMLA leaves actually deserve them. Automating the entire process with a software can save a lot of time and paperwork and increase efficiency.

· Better Decisions with Real-Time Performance Tracking

Another great benefit of automating your FMLA processing is keeping track of the employees’ performance in real time. You, as an employer, need to be aware of your employees’ performance standards before approving their leave requests, especially if they ask for them on a regular basis. A software that integrates with your performance management system or comes with a built-in one can help you a lot in this regard.

· Flexibility to Keep Up with Changes

The Family & Medical Leave Act undergoes changes from time to time. Depending on the magnitude of the change, employers have to revise their entire leave policies and procedures. An FMLA tracking software could provide your organization with the flexibility to change your organization’s procedures with just a few clicks and adjustments.

· Reduce Paper Costs and Go Green

Nothing makes an employer happier than coming up with new, innovative ways to reduce costs. That’s another thing that an FMLA software has to offer. With a decent program implemented in your enterprise, you could reduce paper costs by making all the operations digital.

· Maintain a Clean Slate

When it comes to managing FMLA procedures, it is highly important for a company to gather ample proof of its due diligence of the law. Maintaining a clean slate on paper can be difficult but doing the same thing on an automated software is extremely easy and even safe!

Final Thoughts

Now let’s go back to the original question, i.e., “do you need an FMLA software?” The simple answer to that question is that it ultimately depends on you. If you feel that your workforce can tackle the challenges of manual paperwork and processing, then go for it. But, do keep all the amazing benefits of an automated software in mind while making the decision! We wish you the best of luck.