Overview of the ADA and FMLA for Employers

Join federal partners at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Wage and Hour Division from the US Department of Labor (DOL) for an informative overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This session is ideal for employers seeking familiarity on the ADA and FMLA and interested in leveraging available federal resources. This event is intended for non-federal audiences.

ADA & FMLA: Navigating Employer Responsibilities

• Presented jointly by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
• Designed for HR professionals, managers, in-house counsel, and compliance leaders
• Practical guidance on ADA and FMLA requirements and how the laws intersect in real workplace situations
• Clarification of employer obligations related to reasonable accommodations, leave management, and the interactive process
• Discussion of common compliance pitfalls, retaliation risks, and best practices
• Interactive Q&A with federal agency representatives

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Explain the key requirements of the ADA and FMLA and how they apply to common workplace scenarios
• Identify when an employee request may trigger ADA accommodation and/or FMLA leave obligations
• Apply best practices for managing accommodation and leave requests while reducing compliance risk
• Recognize strategies to prevent retaliation and promote lawful, respectful workplaces

About Monica and Amy:

Monica Colunga - Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Office of Communication and Legislative Affairs (OCLA)

Monica Colunga joined the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in August 2010 as a Bilingual Investigator with the San Jose Local Office. After five years in this role, Monica was promoted to Enforcement Supervisor at the Washington Field Office in September 2015. In August 2019, she was further promoted to Outreach and Education Coordinator, where she currently serves.

 Prior to her tenure at the EEOC, Monica worked in the federal sector at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Additionally, she gained valuable experience in the private sector, working with Native American and Latino families in California.

Amy Kim- Community Outreach & Resource Planning Specialist (CORPS) for the Baltimore District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division

Prior to her role as a CORPS, Ms. Kim’s primary role was that of a Wage and Hour Investigator. As a Wage & Hour Investigator, she conducted numerous compliance checks, enforcing the federal labor standards.

As Community Outreach Specialist, she is committed to have herself available to the employer and employee advocacy groups, students, community organizations, and government agencies, to promote and provide education and assistant with the various law under the department’s purview. The Wage and Hour (WHD) enforces and administers federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Additionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis Bacon Act (DBA) and the Service Contract Act (SCA), the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA), the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and a number of employment standards and worker protections as provided in several immigration related statutes.