Kentucky FMLA

The Kentucky Family and Medical Leave Act is designed for just those occasions when family circumstances become overwhelming. It may be because there’s been an accident or serious health problem in the immediate family. Perhaps there’s a birth, or an adoption. Maybe a foster child is coming into the home.

In the season of Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day it’s natural to think about family. It’s also a good time to think again about the Kentucky FMLA law. The Kentucky Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is designed to help you when you need to turn your focus away from work for a while and direct your attention to the needs of your loved ones.

While some states have chosen to create their own, sometimes slightly different, versions of the Family and Medical Leave Act, Kentucky abides by the Kentucky program.

Under the conditions in the Kentucky and Kentucky program, a worker may get up to 12 weeks a year of unpaid leave. But in order to make it happen, both the employer and the employee have certain obligations they must fulfill. For example, the employer is urged to notify an employee immediately regarding leave status and describe exactly how that worker may go about keeping in touch with the workplace to insure the security of the job. The employee, on the other hand, must follow up on the employer’s instructions and abide by deadlines. It’s important to maintain an ongoing relationship with the employer.

Unpaid leave raises complications around medical coverage. Normally, your workplace coverage would be paid for by payroll deductions. But when you’re on unpaid leave, where does that premium money come from? The answer is, your employer is likely to consider it an advance on a future paycheck. When you return, you’ll find the cost of your medical coverage premium appearing as a deduction from your wages. You and your employer should sit down and sign an agreement to avoid misunderstandings that could arise as a result of this legal issue.