A Guide to the New FMLA Forms

Janie Schulman spoke to HR Magazine about the Department of Labor’s revisions to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) forms this summer, resulting in extensive changes that require more specific information in medical certifications.

According to Janie, the certification for an employee’s own serious health condition now asks the health care provider to describe at least one essential job function that the employee is unable to perform. The form tells health care providers that saying the duration of incapacity may be “lifetime,” “unknown,” or “indeterminate” is not helpful and may not be enough to determine FMLA coverage.

“These changes will hopefully make it easier for doctors to complete the forms and for employers to evaluate the information they receive, without needing to repeatedly bug the doctor for follow-up information,” Janie said.

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