DOL targeting employers for FMLA violations.

Workers who believe they were unlawfully denied FMLA leave typically head directly to federal court if they want to file a lawsuit. That's because, unlike most federal employment laws, the FMLA doesn't require any preliminary agency action--like filing an EEOC complaint--before litigation can begin.

But that doesn't mean employers can rest easy if they haven't been served with notice of a federal FMLA lawsuit. The Department of Labor can still decide to bring its own action--and is increasingly doing so.

Recent case: Employees at Los Angeles International Airport complained to the DOL that they often had to wait a full month to get FMLA leave requests approved or rejected. The process involved five levels of review...