Yes, the FMLA has employer deadlines – 5 business days
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) includes deadlines employers must meet. The challenge is knowing what triggers these deadlines and meeting them.
Eligibility/rights and responsibilities notice
The first deadline is activated when an employee notifies the employer (e.g., supervisor, HR manager, etc.) of the need for leave. The employer then has five business days to give the employee an eligibility/rights & responsibilities notice.
If the information in this notice changes, the employer has to tell the employee in writing within five business days after the employee first asks for leave again. The new notice should mention the old notice and explain what has changed. If, for example, the first part of leave was paid and the next part is unpaid, the employer needs to explain how to make premium payments.
Employers may include a certification along with the employee's eligibility/rights & responsibilities notice. Absent extenuating circumstances, the employee must complete and return the certification within 15 calendar days.
So, how soon after an employee requests leave do employers have to request a certification?
In most cases, employers should request a certification when an employee gives notice of the need for leave or within five business days. If the leave is unforeseen, such as a medical emergency, employers should request a certification within five days after the leave begins.
Designation notice
Once the employer has enough information (often from a certification) to determine if the employee’s leave qualifies for FMLA job protections, the employer has five business days to give the employee a designation notice (i.e., written approval or denial of the leave).
Similar to the eligibility/rights and responsibilities notice, if the information provided in the designation notice changes (e.g., the employee exhausts the FMLA leave entitlement), the employer must inform the employee of the change within five business days.
Key to remember: Failure to meet the FMLA’s five-day deadlines for giving employees notices can risk a claim that the employer violated the employee’s FMLA rights.