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Report File
Date Issued
Submitting OIG
Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) OIG
Agencies Reviewed/Investigated
Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
Report Number
OIG-A-2025-010
Report Description

Our objective for this report was to assess the extent to which the company effectively manages leave granted under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

 

The FMLA provides important protections to employees who need to miss work for their medical conditions or those of a family member. We have previously reported on employee abuses of FMLA leave and weaknesses in the company’s administration of it that could have contributed to such abuse. 

 

In this report, we found that Amtrak is committed to ensuring that its employees maintain access to the important job protections FMLA provides, and that its process for approving leave is generally effective. The company, however, does not effectively oversee FMLA leave once employees begin using it because 1) it has not consistently communicated oversight responsibilities to supervisors, and 2)company systems do not allow supervisors to effectively track FMLA leave approvals. As a result, many supervisors do not track FMLA leave at all. More broadly, without adequate tracking tools, the company does not have reliable data on FMLA leave use companywide.

 

Without more effective management of FMLA leave, the unpredictable nature of FMLA-related absences—and the company’s limited visibility regarding them—poses operational, safety, and financial risks.

 

To address these weaknesses, we recommended that the company define its requirements for managing and monitoring FMLA leave, evaluate solutions to meet such requirements, and select a strategy to strengthen its FMLA leave oversight. In the meantime, we recommended that the company better communicate roles and responsibilities and provide training for employees overseeing FMLA leave.

Report Type
Audit
Agency Wide
Yes
Number of Recommendations
5
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0
Report updated under NDAA 5274
No

Open Recommendations

This report has 5 open recommendations.
Recommendation Number Significant Recommendation Recommended Questioned Costs Recommended Funds for Better Use Additional Details
1 Yes $0 $0

Define the company’s requirements for managing and monitoring FMLA leave use, including the tools and data it needs for effective oversight and workforce planning.

2 Yes $0 $0

Assess the costs and benefits of potential solutions to address the company’s requirements for managing and monitoring FMLA leave use. Options the company could consider include: (1) outsourcing all oversight activities, (2) developing an internal team or software to manage and monitor leave use, and (3) a combination of these strategies, or others as appropriate.

3 Yes $0 $0

Based on the company’s cost-benefit analysis, select a strategy that would most effectively meet company requirements and develop a plan to implement it.

4 Yes $0 $0

Based on the strategy the company ultimately selects, reassess staff roles and communicate changes as necessary.

5 Yes $0 $0

In the interim, develop a process to regularly communicate FMLA oversight expectations and train staff on their respective roles and responsibilities.

Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) OIG

United States