Give employees seven days to fix FMLA certification.

Before you approve or reject an employee's FMLA request, the law allows you to request a medical certification from the employee.

Certifications must include some specific things: 1) the date that the serious health condition began, 2) its probable duration, 3) relevant medical facts, 4) a statement that the employee cannot perform her job's functions, 5) dates and duration of planned medical treatment and 6) the expected duration of any intermittent leave.

If a certification is missing some information, don't just instantly turn down the leave request. You must legally give employees at least seven workdays to get clarification. Otherwise, you risk an FMLA interference lawsuit.

Case in point: When Deborah suffered shortness of...