Ep. 588 FMLA Made Easier: Tools and Resources for Employers Navigating Leave Laws

Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley and Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby sit down to talk about the Family and Medical Leave Act and share tools and resources available to clients as they navigate their cases.

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Burley

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brenda Colby

Editor: Jadyn Brandt

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production

© Copyright 2026. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive.  I’m your host, Alyssa Burley, and I’m joined by Brenda Colby, Client Technology Specialist with Rancho Mesa, and we’re going to talk about the Family and Medical Leave Act and share some tools and resources available to our clients trying to navigate these cases.

Brenda, welcome to the show.

Brenda Colby: Hi Alyssa, happy to be here.

AB: We’re happy you’re here.

So, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows qualifying employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year, while maintaining job protection and healthcare benefits.

Brenda, what types of situations qualify an employee to take leave under FMLA, and how does the law define these qualifying reasons?

BC: Well, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the reasons an employee may take FMLA include:

The birth of a child or placement of a foster or adopted child with the employee.

To care for a family member (a child, spouse, or parent) who has a serious health condition.

Or if the employee themselves has a serious health condition that makes them unable to work.

And, there are some other qualifying reasons related to a family member’s military service, as well.

AB: And, for more clarification on what falls under FMLA leave, we recommend speaking with an HR expert, or going to the Department of Labor’s website.

Even if an employee has a qualified reason for taking FMLA leave, there are still some additional requirements they must meet.

So Brenda, what are the eligibility requirements an employee must meet to qualify for FMLA leave?

BC: So, employees are eligible for FMLA if they have worked for a covered employer for at least 12 months, have completed at least 1,250 hours of service, and work at a location where the employer has at least 50 employees within 75 miles.

Now, these are the federal FMLA rules. Individual states may have lower eligibility requirements. In California, for example, we have another law called the California Family Rights Act which brings the number of employees down from 50 to only 5 and there is no requirement for distance. So, check with your specific state for the eligibility requirements. 

AB: Yes, I agree. Employers should always check with their state as well as federal requirements because those can often be a little bit different.

So, how can Rancho Mesa clients use our resources to ensure they stay compliant with FMLA requirements and keep up with law updates?

BC: So our RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal has many FMLA resources that employers can use to ensure compliance.

Those include anything from a Quick Guide that helps determine if an employee is eligible for FMLA, to a paperwork packet of forms and letters to be used for FMLA leaves, and even an absence tracking spreadsheet.

Any updates to FMLA laws are published in the HR portal.

And, Rancho Mesa clients can also use the HR portal to submit questions specific to their business, and get answers from real HR experts.

AB: Yes, and Rancho Mesa clients can use the state filter in the HR portal to show them the state-specific content if you’re looking for that.

Now, if our clients choose to build a Smart Employee handbook through the portal, they will also be alerted of changes to both state and federal laws that will affect their handbook and they can accept changes to their workplace policies to ensure they stay in compliance, if there’s anything that changes with FMLA leave.

Brenda, if listeners have questions about accessing FMLA resources in the HR portal, what’s the best way to get in contact with you?

BC: As always, clients can contact me at bcolby@ranchomesa.com or call me directly at (619) 486-6562.

AB: Alright, well Brenda, thanks for joining me in StudioOne.

BC: Thanks for having me.

AB: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.