Johnny C. Taylor Jr. is working on your HR questions as part of the USA Today series. Taylor is the world’s largest HR professional society and the president and CEO of the Human Resources Management Association, author of “Reset: A Guide to Leaders to Work in an Era of Trending Times.”
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question: I am considering taking unpaid leave via the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Can I continue to contribute to my FSA (flexible spending account) even if my employer isn’t paying me during my holidays? – Nisha
Answer: Taking unpaid leave via the Family and Medical Leave Act is an important decision that prioritizes your health and family needs. It is commendable to consider how this will affect flexible spending accounts, as it demonstrates foresight and prudence. Here are some ways to contribute and potentially continue to FSA during your vacation:
Under FMLA regulations, you reserve the right to maintain your contribution to the dependent care FSA during your holidays. The IRS guidelines provide several options for managing these contributions.
- prepayment: Before you begin your FMLA leave, you may choose to advance payment of contributions made while you are away. This strategy will allow you to continue to benefit seamlessly from FSAs, maintaining financial stability and planning flexibility.
- Continuous pay deduction: If you have paid a portion of your FMLA leave, you can continue with your regular pay deduction. This is probably the simplest method. Because it requires no additional action other than to ensure that HR can set everything up correctly.
- Direct contribution: During unpaid leave, you can arrange to make FSA contributions directly through your employer, following the same schedule as your regular payroll deduction.
- Contributions to advanced payments and catch-up: Some employers allow FSA contributions to advance. This requires careful financial planning, but ensures that the FSA’s profits are not interrupted.
Additionally, as with those taking non-FMLA holidays, you will have the flexibility to coordinate your FSA elections under your cafeteria plan if your situation changes. If you need to temporarily suspend your contribution, you will be permitted to re-register on return.
With this extensive list of options, absence does not interfere with the ability to acquire and use the benefits of an FSA.
It is important to consult with your HR department to understand specifically how these options are implemented within your organization. Each employer may have different procedures based on planning guidelines.
FMLA and IRS guidelines are designed with your happiness in mind and support you at a time when work needs to take the back seat to personal health and family responsibilities.
Think of this as a proactive step to maintaining your overall life balance and ensuring financial health during your holidays.
I work in the Product Development Group and the Account Management team recently approached me about moving to the Account Executive role. Having worked as a design specialist for almost 10 years, I have a deep understanding of my clients’ business. He also has expertise in deliverables and features as a vendor. What should I consider when exploring such a critical career shift? Should I worry about losing my expertise? – Loli
Beginning a career shift is an exciting opportunity to broaden your horizons and add a new dimension to your professional portfolio. As someone with a solid background in product development and design, moving into the role of account executives could be a natural progression that allows you to develop new skills while leveraging your existing expertise.
First and foremost, it is important to recognize that experience as a design specialist provides a strong foundation for your new role as an account executive. A deep understanding of client business and thorough knowledge of deliverables and capabilities puts you in a unique position to seamlessly bridge the gap between design and account management. Instead of leaving your expertise behind, consider it an expansion of your toolkit. It will increase the ability to communicate the value of a company’s products and services from a more strategic and business-oriented perspective.
When considering this transition, we will evaluate how skills acquired through product development can be applied to account management. As an account executive, you are responsible for building and maintaining strong client relationships, understanding their needs and providing solutions that align with their business goals. Your background is likely to have a strong communication skills, the ability to empathize with clients, and a detailed understanding of how your product meets their needs, so you’re well equipped for this.
Additionally, consider how the role of an account executive can enrich your career. It can provide you with a broader perspective on the business environment and provide insight into strategic decision-making, negotiation and leadership. By developing these skills, you can expand your career trajectory and potential opportunities by placing you for a future role that combines technical prowess and business insights.
It’s natural to worry about losing contact with design expertise, but keep in mind that the skills are not only retained, they can be adapted and applied in new ways. Continue to engage in the passion of design through side projects, professional development, or sensual tasks, ensuring that skills remain sharp and relevant. This dual expertise not only strengthens the current role, but also adds value to any organization.
Additionally, as account executives, there are platforms that influence the direction of product delivery based on client feedback, which indirectly shapes the design and development process. Your intimate knowledge of design nuances can be a key asset in delivering customized client solutions and driving innovation.
Ultimately, approaching this career shift as an opportunity to diversify your skill set and explore new paths of professional growth is extremely rewarding. Accepting tasks and using existing strengths while being open to learning and adaptation. The role of an account executive can be a complementary addition to your career, enriching your professional life and leveraging the skills and expertise that have cultivated over the years, opening the door to new opportunities.
The opinions and opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of USA Today.
