When FMLA leave runs out, the compliance questions don’t stop. They multiply.
When an employee exhausts their 12 weeks of FMLA leave but still can’t return to work, employers face a tangled set of questions: does the ADA require additional unpaid leave as a reasonable accommodation, how is health insurance coverage affected, and does the PWFA apply. ADA compliance has nearly doubled as a top employer priority since 2021, and the EEOC received over 29,000 disability discrimination charges last fiscal year, a 25-year high.
At ConnectBridge, we see this exact transition point trip up even well-resourced HR teams. PWFA accommodations don’t require a condition to meet the ADA’s disability threshold, which means a policy built only around ADA language may not actually cover pregnancy-related needs like postpartum recovery or lactation.
The risk isn’t just regulatory. Self-funded employers are also seeing stop-loss carriers scrutinize leave decisions more closely before approving claims. Clear policies, documented decisions, and trained managers are what hold up under that kind of review.
IMA Financial Group, Inc. breaks down the full picture. To learn more, click here.
