Managing Certifications, Return-to-Work & Fitness-for-Duty in eFMLA

Webinar Recap & Quick Reference Guide

Recorded: October 29, 2026

Presenter: Scott D. Macdonald, Esq., SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Thank you to everyone who attended our recent eFMLA webinar!

During this session, we reviewed several important features and best practices for managing medical certifications, employee return-to-work dates, and Fitness-for-Duty documentation.

We've put together this quick reference guide covering the main topics. You can also watch the complete webinar recording at the bottom of this article for a more detailed demonstration.

1. Dashboard Updates & Notifications

The updated eFMLA dashboard provides quicker access to important information and commonly used features.

Be sure to review the following:

New Updates: Check the notification at the top of your dashboard for recently added features and system improvements. Select "Learn More" to view the details.
Medical Certifications Due or Overdue: Quickly identify employees with outstanding certifications and send reminders when needed.
Return-to-Work Notifications: View employees scheduled to return today or those whose anticipated return dates have passed.
Quick Actions: Access frequently used functions, including sending an employee request link and viewing the EFI Report.

Important: These dashboard notifications depend on the accuracy of the information maintained in each employee's EFI profile.

2. Review Your Account Profile Settings

Your Account Profile contains several settings that can help improve communication and simplify administrative tasks.

Under Account Profile > Manage Email Notifications, review who receives notifications for:

Employee leave requests.
Supervisor or other designated personnel notifications.
Copies of correspondence sent to employees.
Completed electronic medical certifications.
Documents uploaded to employee profiles.

You can also enable employee notifications when medical certifications or other documents are uploaded.

Additional settings worth reviewing:

Organization Information: Make sure your contact information, including your fax number, is accurate.
Session Timeout: Configure automatic logout settings for added security.
Cover Letters & Designation Notices: Add standard language that can be included in employee correspondence and adjusted when necessary.
Accessibility Options: Review the available accessibility settings, including the audio accessibility option.

3. Creating & Tracking Medical Certifications

One of the key recommendations from the webinar is to create medical certifications through eFMLA so the system can properly track certification due dates and completion status.

Even when an employee uses a printed form or another accepted certification format, creating the certification record in eFMLA helps maintain accurate tracking information.

Recommended process:

Open the employee's EFI profile and create the medical certification.
Email the certification through eFMLA to maintain a record of when it was sent.
If you also provide a paper copy, document the delivery method and date in the employee's Notepad.
When the completed certification is received, upload it to the appropriate medical certification section.

Creating the certification allows eFMLA to track its due date and whether it has been received. If no certification record exists, those tracking fields may display N/A.

Employee submission options: Depending on the workflow, employees can use the electronic certification process or available fax, print, and downloadable PDF options.

4. Using the Electronic Fitness-for-Duty Certification

eFMLA includes an electronic Fitness-for-Duty (FFD) certification form to assist with the return-to-work process when a certification is required.

The form provides options for employees to submit information electronically to their healthcare provider or use the available fax, print, and PDF options.

A few important reminders:

Create the Fitness-for-Duty certification within the employee's EFI profile when appropriate.
Upload completed FFD certifications or acceptable return-to-work releases to the designated Fitness-for-Duty section.
Avoid uploading these documents under Miscellaneous Files.
If an updated FFD certification is needed, create a new record and retain the original to preserve the documentation history.

Fitness-for-Duty requirements vary depending on the circumstances. Employers should follow applicable requirements and their organization's policies when determining whether a certification is needed.

Fitness-for-Duty documents should be uploaded in this section of the employee's EFI profile.

5. Managing Changes to Return-to-Work Dates

Anticipated leave start dates and return-to-work dates can change. Keeping this information updated is important for accurate reporting and notifications.

When an anticipated return date changes:

Open the employee's EFI profile.
Update the anticipated return-to-work date as appropriate.
Document the reason for the change in the employee's notes.
Determine whether additional medical documentation or recertification is appropriate for the circumstances.

When the employee actually returns to work:

Open the employee's EFI profile.
Select Employee Has Returned: Yes.
Enter the actual return-to-work date and save the changes.

Make sure anticipated and actual return-to-work dates are properly documented. If the dates differ, review the employee's records and document any changes.

Keeping these fields current also prevents employees who have already returned from continuing to appear on overdue return-to-work reports.

6. Using Reports, Reminders & Leave Tracking

eFMLA includes several reporting tools to help administrators monitor outstanding items and manage employee leave.

Reminder Reports

Use reminder reports to identify upcoming or overdue certifications and return-to-work dates. You can send reminders directly through eFMLA, and the system maintains a record of those communications in the employee's email history.

We recommend reviewing reminder reports once or twice per week.

EFI Report

The EFI Report provides an overview of employee leave information, including medical certification status, Fitness-for-Duty records, and return-to-work dates.

Keep employee profiles updated so the report accurately reflects current information.

Leave Tracking Tool

The Leave Tracking Tool helps administrators record FMLA leave usage and monitor remaining leave entitlement.

The tool tracks leave in hours rather than simply counting calendar days, helping account for different employee schedules and workweeks.

Administrators can enter leave dates, review applicable days, and track leave usage based on their organization's configured calculation method.

Key Takeaways

A few important reminders to keep in mind:

Keep employee records accurate. Update anticipated and actual return-to-work dates and document changes.
Create and send certifications through eFMLA. This improves tracking and maintains a record of employee communications.
Store certifications in the correct location. Keep medical and Fitness-for-Duty documentation organized within their designated sections.
Use your reminder reports regularly. A quick review once or twice a week can help identify outstanding items that need attention.

Watch the Full Webinar Recording

For a more detailed walkthrough of these features and tools, watch our recorded webinar below.

Managing Certifications, Return-to-Work & Fitness-for-Duty Through eFMLA

Watch directly on YouTube

Questions or Need Assistance?

If you have questions about any of the features covered in this article or need help using them in your eFMLA account, our support team is happy to assist.

Email: support@efmla.com

Phone: (855) 488-FMLA (3652)

Thank you for being an eFMLA customer!

Disclaimer: This article and webinar provide general information only and are not intended as legal advice. Please consult your organization's legal counsel regarding specific situations or compliance requirements.