Leave Done Right: The HR Leader's Guide to FMLA, ADA, and the Gray Areas Nobody Talks About
September 9, 2026 1:00 PM ET
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and leave management top the list of HR's most common — and most costly — compliance challenges. But the real problem isn't that HR leaders don't know the rules, it's that the rules were written for a world that no longer exists.
Hybrid work. Mental health leave. Overlapping accommodations. Intermittent leave abuse. Multistate obligations. Managers who mean well and say all the wrong things. The gap between what the law requires and what actually happens in practice has never been wider.
In this session, nationally recognized human capital strategist Anita Grantham will give you a clear, practical framework for handling leave in a way that protects your organization, supports your employees, and doesn't leave your managers guessing.
You'll walk away knowing:
- Where the FMLA, the ADA, and state leave laws overlap — and how to navigate the gray areas.
- How to handle the most common leave scenarios that HR gets wrong.
- What your managers need to know — and what they should never say.
- How to build a leave process that is both legally defensible and genuinely human.
- The documentation practices that protect you when things go sideways.
Leave management is where compliance meets culture. Get this right and you build trust. Get it wrong and you build lawsuits.
SHRM Knowledge Advisors will join the live webinar to answer your questions in real time—right in the chat. If we don’t get to your question during the session? No problem, SHRM members can head to SHRM Connect after this webinar to keep the conversation going with advisors for 30 extra minutes. This benefit is only for members who join the live webinar and not included later on demand.
Meet the Presenters
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Anita Grantham
Anita Grantham is a nationally recognized human capital strategist, celebrated for creating award-winning workplace cultures that drive performance and innovation. She has built high-performing environments at fast-growing tech firms like Pluralsight, BambooHR and Infusionsoft (Keap), earning recognition from Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For and Great Place to Work. Anita has scaled fast-growth companies from hundreds to thousands of employees across multiple geographies, contributing to successful exits including IPOs, private equity, and venture deals.
As an executive-in-residence, she collaborates with organizations to define mission, vision, and values, align strategies, and foster high-performing cultures. Anita advises boards, CEOs, and management teams, drawing on her deep expertise. As an investor and advisor with High Alpha, she guides purpose-driven startups, focusing on talent and scalable growth. A sought-after speaker, she shares insights on leadership and culture globally. Anita volunteers as a Barista for MyParent Cafe’s ADHD/Dyslexia Village, empowering parents. Her purpose-driven leadership drives transformative impact across industries and communities.
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Joe Tate
Joe Tate is the Founder and Partner of Boost HR & Recruiting, and has been an active SHRM member for over 20 years and holds the SPHR certification. Joe leads the HR Consulting supporting over 2,000 clients across the country. A subject matter expert in leadership development and employment law. Joe is the creator of the Boost HR 6-week leadership series. A teacher at heart and avid skier in the Wasatch Mountains near his home.
With expertise in start-up environments and Fortune 500 standouts. A graduate of the University of Utah, he is skilled in labor economics and international HR.
SHRM certification has approved this webinar for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webinar.