02/02/2012
Florida’s version of the FMLA allows workers to take up to three days of leave if the employee or a family member is the victim of domestic violence. Now a state senator, Mike Fasano, has proposed an amendment that would extend that protection to pet abuse.
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01/31/2012
An employee may request FMLA leave after the decision has been made to terminate her but before finding out she’s about to lose her job. Employers that can prove they made the firing decision earlier won’t lose an FMLA failure-to-reinstate lawsuit.
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01/31/2012
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed new FMLA rules that would formalize several statutory amendments that expanded military family-leave rights in 2008 and 2009. The new rules would officially incorporate into the FMLA amendments that were tacked onto the National Defense Authorization Act. If you're covered by the FMLA, these rules will apply to you.
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01/31/2012
Employees who take FMLA leave are entitled to their old jobs or an equivalent one when they return. Offering a less prestigious position or one with different hours is asking for trouble.
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01/25/2012
Many employers wrongly assume that they can automatically terminate an employee once she used up her 12-week entitlement of FMLA leave. Such a policy could spell trouble.
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01/23/2012
The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued three new fact sheets that help clarify what types of employer actions rise to the level of illegal retaliation under the FMLA and FLSA.
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01/20/2012
Q. One of my employees recently informed me that she needs to take time off to seek psychiatric treatment. I realize that this employee may be disabled under the ADA, but could she also be considered to be suffering from a serious health condition under the FMLA?
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01/20/2012
Sometimes, employees develop medical problems and use up their available leave under the FMLA or other leave programs before they get a definitive diagnosis. Think about offering them additional time off.
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01/20/2012
While employees with chronic medical conditions are typically entitled to FMLA leave, such intermittent absences are fertile ground for abuse. After all, an employee on intermittent leave can simply call in and say his condition is acting up. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless if you suspect abuse.
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01/18/2012
Don’t make a common, but potentially expensive mistake. You can terminate an employee who isn’t ready to return to work when he has used up his FMLA leave without violating the FMLA. However, you may be violating the ADA by doing so.
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01/06/2012
When asked to provide FMLA certification of their serious health condition from a health care provider, some employees may realize they can’t. One answer? Fake it. What’s an employer to do? There are several approaches you can take.
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01/06/2012
Sure, a birthday party may lift your spirits. But Congress probably didn’t have party attendance in mind as “covered treatment” when it gave employees the right to take FMLA medical leave. Still, should you instantly fire a worker for attending a party while on FMLA leave?
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01/05/2012
Don’t write off a lawsuit just because a former employee misses state discrimination agency and EEOC deadlines to file a complaint. If the employee has an FMLA-related claim, she has up to three years to file a federal lawsuit. And she doesn’t have to file anything with the EEOC or a New York state or local discrimination agency.
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01/05/2012
A federal court has shot down an employee’s claim that he should have received an accommodation because of his association with a disabled individual. That’s good news, as it nixes time off to care for a disabled individual if the employee isn’t otherwise eligible for FMLA leave.
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01/05/2012
Employees with a serious health condition are entitled to take intermittent FMLA leave when their conditions flare up. And disabled employees are entitled to reasonable accommodations for their disabilities. That can include time off. Employers must therefore consider granting intermittent FMLA leave among the possible ADA reasonable accommodations when an employee has a serious health condition that is also a disability.
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