Family Leave Medical Act - Obligations?

[itmanager]

What is the name of your state? Maryland
I am a salaried professional with a recent back injury. It will require several doctors office visits / treatments and MAYBE surgery. Our HR person gave me the FLMA for our company and said I COULD fill it out. My main question is this: Should I put this under the FLMA or not? I do not expect to be less than full time at any point during the process. If surgery is needed, I will be out 2-3 weeks. All doctors appts and time off would be covered by my current accumulated sick leave.

Are there advantages / disadvantages to me doing this?

 

[Beth3]

There are no disadvantages. Actually, using FMLA is not entirely your option. If your employer identifies a medical situation where your absences meet the criteria spelled out in the Act, they may attribute that absence time to your 12-week FMLA entitlement whether you've applied for leave or not.

Applying for intermittent FMLA (and for additional leave if you have surgery) will assure that those absences are all "excused" and cannot be considered when your performance is being evaluated, if you are eligible for a bonus, etc. If your company has a paid sick days/leave benefit, that would run concurrently with your FMLA leave.

 

[cbg]

I would even go so far as to say that if the employee identifies a medical situation which would be covered under FMLA, they MUST, at least initially, apply it to FMLA whether you ask for it or not.