Tracking FMLA Shouldn’t Feel Like You’re on an Episode of Shark Week

Shark week. It’s a week that we look forward to all summer here at Optis. While watching theories about Megalodon and the increased shark activity in Chatham in Cape Cod, we can’t help but relate the sometimes voraciousness of sharks to tracking employee absence. (Yeah, we said it…) Intermittent leave tracking, payroll, case documentation and compliance can seem dangerous and scary, but it doesn’t have to be. We recommend tracking your employee absence in the cloud to increase efficiency and streamline processes. You’ve probably heard by now that we launched new editions of our cloud based leave tracking system, LeaveXpert. Now, we have the right-sized edition of LeaveXpert for every organization – LeaveXpert Essential, Plus & Unlimited. While watching Shark Week, we found some [interesting facts about sharks](http://marinelife.about.com/od/vertebrates/tp/sharkfacts.htm) that reminded us of tracking employee leaves of absence. And they are… **1. There are over 400 species of sharks** Much like the different types of shark species, each employee leave of absence is different – sick leave, maternity leave, military leave, etc. Leave type, leave duration, leave reason, location, and many other factors all vary from one leave to another, making each case complex, and often times, difficult to manage. **2. Sharks have different ways of sleeping** Some sharks need to constantly move while sleeping to breathe. Others have spiracles and can stay still. Some even “sleep swim.” Like tracking leave, people do things differently. Some leave specialists track leave on desk calendars with sticky notes, some use excel spreadsheets. When it comes to ensuring compliance and streamlining processes, it’s important to have a consistent work flow, each team member on the same page, working in the same system for smooth sailing. **3. Sharks have several rows of teeth** Sharks have five to 15 rows of teeth. Top of the food chain here! Clearly they are smart, efficient and agile, much like how your absence management program should be. Managing absence in the cloud keeps you organized, and gives you the ability to access the information when you need it, with all of the case details at your fingertips (even on the beach.) Don’t spend your days fishing through file cabinets for employee information, or surfing the internet for current leave regulations. Have all of the information stored for you in one place. Additionally, gain the ability to run management reports, see case loads, leave trends, and be able to transfer cases seamlessly from one leave specialist to the other. Even better, increase speed and efficiency by starting your absence tracking in the [cloud](https://www.leavexpert.com/) today with our 30 day trial. **4. Sharks are a long-lived species** Large sharks can live up to 100-150 years. Smaller sharks can live about 20 – 30 years. The Family and Medical Leave Act celebrated its 20th birthday this week. The law took effect on August 5, 1993, six months after President Clinton signed it during his first term. It’s safe to say that FMLA is trending to a long life span. With the recent legislation of paid leave in [New York](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2013/06/27/new-york-passes-paid-sick-leave-law-but-u-s-still-far-behind/), along with paid leave in Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C., we’re guessing that employee leave is here to stay, and will only get more complicated. Don’t find yourself underwater. It’s a good idea to start thinking of a long-term strategy to manage your company leaves. Happy Shark Week, and Happy 20th Birthday FMLA.