DOL Updates FMLA Model Forms Through August 2029
The U.S. Department of Labor has updated its seven FMLA model forms to extend their expiration date through August 31, 2029. The update is administrative and does not change FMLA requirements.
Astrid Elvir
District of Columbia Reduces Paid Family Leave Benefits
Effective October 1, 2026, the District of Columbia reduced Paid Family Leave benefits: medical leave drops from 12 to 10 weeks, family leave from 12 to six weeks, and the maximum weekly benefit from $1,190 to $1,100.
California Expands Paid Family Leave for Military Qualifying Exigencies
California AB 2054 expands the military service circumstances that can qualify employees for Paid Family Leave benefits for qualifying exigencies, including training and duty regardless of location. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.
California Expands Bereavement Leave to Designated Persons
California SB 1149 expands bereavement leave to include a “designated person,” an individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. The change takes effect January 1, 2027.
Allegheny County Enacts Paid Parental Leave Requirement
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has become the first county in the nation to require paid parental leave. Employers with 15 or more employees must provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and have 12 months to comply.
The future of the employee leave experience
Use practical approaches from employers, insurers, and service providers to reduce friction and make leave easier for employees to understand and navigate.
Compensation Trends in Accommodation and Leave Management
The 2026 DMEC Salary Survey gives you current compensation data from 592 professionals across employer organizations, carriers, consultants, and the public sector.
2026 Americans with Disabilities Act and Return to Work Issue
What does it take to support employees when illness, injury, or changing circumstances affect their ability to work? In this issue of @Work magazine, accommodation and leave management professionals examine that question from different points in the employee journey, from staying at work during recovery to navigating accommodations and planning a successful return after leave. Fred Schott, in conversation with Dan Jolivet, Les Kertay, and Mike Lacroix, examines the role work can play during recovery and why stay-at-work programs remain underused. Rachel Shaw looks at temporary modified light duty, while Gage Koeller and Kerri Wizner analyze 10 years of claims data to track changes in return-to-work durations. Jess Dudley considers the role of empathetic leadership during return to work. Tori Weeks and Wendy Coduti examine how employers can prepare for the effects of natural disasters on employee health and work, and Kelly Woodbridge looks at how National Disability Employment Awareness Month can build a culture of disability inclusion that lasts beyond October. The issue also looks at managing accommodations for remote employees, supporting neurodivergent employees, navigating the overlap between the PWFA and ADA, and what happens when an employee can't return to the same work in the same way.
DMEC News: September-October 2026
DMEC introduces a new master class on costly accommodation and leave mistakes, new microcredential courses on military leave and Iowa leave laws, and applications for the 2027-2029 Employer Advisory Council.
Work Is Medicine
Work is more than a paycheck. For people coping with illness or injury, it also provides structure, social connection, identity, and daily purpose, key ingredients that matter enormously to recovery.
