The US Department of Labor has revised the forms to be given to employees requesting leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. There’s a form to use when the leave is for the employee’s own medical condition and one to use when the employee is caring for a relative.

Copyright: xixinxing / 123RF Stock Photo
Copyright: xixinxing / 123RF Stock Photo

But if California employers use the form for employees requesting leave for their own health conditions, they’re violating California law. While the California Family Rights Act parallels the FMLA in many respects, it does not allow you to ask an employee’s diagnosis, which the FMLA forms ask in section A(4).

Here’s a list of six other ways that following federal employment law causes you to violate California law.  Ignore them at your peril. In case you hadn’t noticed, we do things a bit differently out here.