Update: Family Medical Leave can be used to attend IEP meetings
Update: Family Medical Leave can be used to attend IEP meetings
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The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) enacted requirements for employers to allow eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specific family and medical reasons.
Recently, the Department of Labor (DOL) wrote an opinion letter discussing a mother’s request to take intermittent FMLA leave to attend IEP meetings for her special needs children. Though her employer found her eligible for FMLA, they did not believe that IEP meetings qualified for excused absences from work (R Mucha, 2019).
The DOL concluded in their letter, that in fact parents can use FMLA leave to attend their children’s specialized education meetings, as they involve the children’s doctors and other care providers when discussing the child’s health and educational needs. The DOL deemed the parent’s attendance in these meetings essential to properly provide care for their children (U.S. Department of Labor, 2019).
This is great news for children and all care providers! Occupational Therapists are encouraged to share this news anyone who might be interested in this recent provision.
Additional Resources including posters, fact sheets, E-tools, and more can be found on the Department of Labor Website.
Additional Resources including posters, fact sheets, E-tools, and more can be found on the Department of Labor Website.
References
R Mucha. (2019, August 13). DOL: FMLA can be used to attend school IEP meetings [web log comment]. Retrieved from https://www.hrmorning.com/news/dol-fmla-opinion-letter/?fbclid=IwAR0nVxsonLkQWUE1est7hqolW1T0krlxstDNEvXm4kiINu7ywbbkwWTlP_Y
U.S. Department of Labor. (2019). Family and Medical Leave Act. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/index.htm
R Mucha. (2019, August 13). DOL: FMLA can be used to attend school IEP meetings [web log comment]. Retrieved from https://www.hrmorning.com/news/dol-fmla-opinion-letter/?fbclid=IwAR0nVxsonLkQWUE1est7hqolW1T0krlxstDNEvXm4kiINu7ywbbkwWTlP_Y
U.S. Department of Labor. (2019). Family and Medical Leave Act. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/index.htm
To cite this page in APA format, please use the following citation:
Cowen, L., Rapalyea, M., & Kornblau, B. (2019, October). Update: Family medical leave can be used to attend IEP meetings. Retrieved from https://www.otonthehill.com/one-minute-reads
Cowen, L., Rapalyea, M., & Kornblau, B. (2019, October). Update: Family medical leave can be used to attend IEP meetings. Retrieved from https://www.otonthehill.com/one-minute-reads
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