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Upload your current handbook. Sentinel reads it against current 29 CFR Part 825, ADA interactive process requirements, and 9 state leave laws (CFRA, PDL, NY PFL, NJ FLA, CT FMLA, WA PFML, OR PFLA, MA PFMLA, CO FAMLI). You get a plain-language gap report and the exact language to fix each issue — in 60 seconds.
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These are not edge cases. They are the ones that show up in 80%+ of handbooks from multi-state employers with 50-500 employees. If your handbook has even two of them, your exposure in a DOL audit or plaintiff lawsuit is significant.
Most handbooks still reference the old 15-day cure window as if it is automatic. Post-2024 DOL guidance requires the employer to send written cure notice within 7 calendar days of receiving incomplete certification — a positive written step, not a passive waiting period.
Handbooks written for multi-state employers often use "FMLA" as shorthand for the whole leave stack, which creates exposure in California (CFRA + PDL + SDI), New York (PFL), New Jersey (FLA), and Connecticut. Each requires its own named designation in writing.
The anti-retaliation section needs to name specific protected activities (requesting leave, taking leave, reporting interference, participating in an investigation). Generic "we do not retaliate" language is not enough to survive summary judgment in most circuits.
Most handbooks mention ADA accommodation but do not describe the interactive process (how a request is made, who responds, what documentation is collected, what the timeline is). The EEOC considers the process itself a substantive right. A handbook silent on the process is a red flag.
Employer share of benefits premiums must continue during FMLA. Employee share continues to accrue. The handbook needs to spell out both (a) that the employer will maintain coverage and (b) how the employee will repay their share (balloon deduction, monthly billing, or a mix) — with an explicit pre-tax election.
No-fault attendance policies (automatic points per absence) cannot count FMLA-protected absences. The handbook must explicitly state that protected leave is excluded from attendance point calculations. A blanket no-fault policy without this carve-out is per se interference.
Sentinel's handbook scanner runs in the browser against your PDF or DOCX. No data leaves your machine. If the scan finds something that looks serious, you can bring it directly into a discovery call with a practicing employment attorney on our advisory panel.