The DOL created the subject
information collections (i.e., notifications) to implement
statutory notice and certification provisions and to assist
employees and employers in meeting their FMLA third-party
notification obligations as required by The Family and Medical
Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and by the amemdments to FMLA contained in
National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008 (NDAA), Pub. L. No.
110-181. The subject recordkeeping requirements are necessary in
order for the DOL to carry out its statutory obligation under FMLA
section 106 to investigate and ensure employer compliance. 29
U.S.C. § 2616.
In addition to the 3,482,473
burden hour increase that occured as a result of new statutory
requirements, discretionary changes were made to the regulations --
adding and deleting specific notification requirements -- that
resulted in an increase of 7,020,126 hours. The burden estimates
were also adjusted upward by 7,096,758 because of improved
information on the number of respondents subject to the FMLA
paperwork requirements, recalculation of burden based on a more
disaggregated approach, and a reconsideration of whether certain
regulations impose a burden beyond what employees and employers
customarily would do in the absence of the regulations. The
estimated annual cost burden has increased due to an increase in
maintenance and operations costs of $150,906,330, of which $455,927
are based on statutory changes and the remainder is due to the
reasons mentioned above, as well as, increased wage rates and other
costs for persons completing the information collections.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.