Ep. 614 Employee Health Insurance Benefit Protections under the Family and Medical Leave Act

Rancho Mesa Client Coordinator Jadyn Brandt and Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby sit down to talk about Employee Health Insurance Benefit Protections under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

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 Employee Health Insurance Benefit Protections under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Brenda, welcome to the show.

Brenda Colby: Thanks Alyssa, happy to be here.

AB: Now, the Family and Medical Leave Act (or FMLA) can be a point of confusion for some business owners. If an employer has never dealt with FMLA leave before, it can be difficult to determine what is required of you and your company. So, for listeners who may not be familiar, will you walk us through the core protections the Family Medical Leave Act provides?

BC: Yeah sure. So FMLA allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave from work for personal or family medical reasons. And when their leave ends, the employer is obligated to allow them to return to the same job or an “equivalent job.” And, an equivalent job is a role where the pay, benefits, employment terms, and often schedule and location are identical to the employee’s original job.

AB: Yes, I’ve seen this in action. After a medical leave, my mom wasn’t able to return to her original role, but was offered another positon that was similar.

FMLA is a way for employees to get necessary medical care or treatment for themselves or their family, and not have to worry about losing their job. But, how to approach health benefits during unpaid leave can be confusing, because the employee is not always being paid for this leave. So, how does FMLA ensure continuity of coverage, and what responsibilities do both employers and employees have when it comes to maintaining insurance premiums?

BC: Yeah you’re right that FMLA leave is unpaid leave, but employee health insurance benefits can continue while the employee is on leave, so as long as the employee continues to make regular contributions to insurance premiums. The U.S. Department of Labor says these contributions can be made by the employee in a number of ways. Most commonly, these payments are made through payroll deductions when an employee has elected to take paid leave along with FMLA leave. But if an employer does not require an employee take paid leave and the employee opts to take only FMLA leave, an employer may make payments on the employee’s behalf that the employee will then need to repay upon returning to work.

AB: Okay, and when an employee comes back from FMLA leave, what are the expectations around restoring their benefits and coverage, and what limitations are placed on employers in terms of changes or restrictions?

BC: Well, an employee can elect not to continue coverage through an employer’s group health plan while on FMLA leave. However, when they do return to work, the employee has the right to return to the same coverage levels as before. The employee must also be allowed to resume receiving all other benefits at the same level. And, for more information on FMLA leave requirements, login to the RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal or visit the U.S. Department of Labor website.

AB: Yes and, individual states may have additional requirements, so it’s important to consult an HR expert or attorney who is knowledgeable about your state’s laws.

Well Brenda, if listeners have questions about accessing the RM365 HRAdvantage portal for FMLA resources, how can they 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: Brenda, thank you 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.