FMLA: What are the Real Opportunities for Improvement?

Employers face challenges in managing lost work time under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – particularly leave days that are taken intermittently and without prior notice. An employee’s request for FMLA leave also is an early indicator of an elevated risk for a later short-term disability claim. Adding to the complexity, employers that are unaware of typical FMLA leave experiences for their industry may not know if they have a particular issue in their workforce – and if so, how much improvement in outcomes is reasonable. Benchmarks that differentiate the “best” employer experiences from the “worst” within an industry can help employers understand what types of outcomes are feasible. It can also help third-party administrators better understand how well absences in particular market segments are being managed. To help employers and their supplier partners understand how FMLA experiences differ within and across industries, this report providings findings from an analysis of claims data from IBI’s 2014 health and productivity benchmarking system.