Certification for Family and Medical Leave

You can require medical certification for an employee taking family and medical leave for the employee’s own serious illness or to care for a family member, except for child-bonding time.

Keep in mind that medical privacy laws limit the type of information you can require on this certification. The medical certification forms provided by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) request medical facts to support the certification, including a diagnosis of a patient or family member’s serious health condition. However, California law prohibits the release of a medical diagnosis supporting certification, unless the patient signs a valid