FMLA Got Real (Again)
This week, the U.S. Department of Labor quietly released new FMLA guidance — and it clarified two areas employers get wrong all the time.
At first glance, the rules didn’t seem dramatic.
But the details?
They matter more than most teams realize.
Here’s what changed in practice:
FMLA can cover reasonable travel time to medical appointments — even if that time isn’t explicitly listed in the certification.
And partial-week school closures?
They don’t automatically increase or reduce FMLA leave.
The math itself didn’t change.
But how easily it can be misapplied did.
Because FMLA rarely breaks down in obvious ways.
It breaks down in the gray areas — where assumptions replace clarity.
And that’s where small mistakes turn into compliance risk.
The Real Leadership Takeaway for Employers
If FMLA feels simple, that’s usually the red flag.
The risk isn’t in the rules you know.
It’s in the ones you think you understand.
U.S. Department of Labor Opinion Letters (Jan 2026)