The New Hampshire Paid Family Medical Leave law has been left behind in the dust. Republican Governor Chris Sununu vetoed the bill, saying that he fully supports paid family medical leave but not the plan passed by the Democratic majority New Hampshire Legislature. The Democratic proposal, referred to as Senate Bill 1, would set up
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Plaintiff With PTSD Not Disabled Under The ADA, Sixth Circuit Rules
The Sixth Circuit’s ruling in Tinsley v. Caterpillar Fin. Servs., Corp., No. 18-5303 (6th Cir. Mar. 20, 2019) is a good reminder that not all impairments rise to the level of a “disability” within the meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). In addition to showing a physical or mental impairment, ADA plaintiffs…
Kentucky Adopts Pregnant Workers Act
Last week Governor Bevin signed Senate Bill 18, the Kentucky Pregnant Workers Act. The Act amends the Kentucky Civil Rights Act (KCRA) and applies to employers with 15 or more employees within the state in each of twenty (20) or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year, as well as any agent…
Model Notice of Employee Rights Released for the Westchester County Earned Sick Leave Law
Westchester County has released a model Notice of Employee Rights for the Westchester County Earned Sick Leave Law (“WCESLL”), effective April 10, 2019.
According to FAQ’s released simultaneously, starting on April 10, 2019, employers must begin providing eligible new hires with a copy of the law and written notice, which is intended to explain how…
Fourth Circuit Reaffirms That Regular, Reliable Attendance Is Essential Function Of Most Jobs
The Fourth Circuit has reaffirmed its position that regular and reliable attendance is an essential function of most jobs. The Court held that an employer did not violate the Rehabilitation Act by taking adverse action against an employee because of her attendance issues—even though they were caused by her mental illness. Hannah P. v. Coats…
What Am I Doing Wrong?? Common FMLA Mistakes
“What did I do wrong?” and “Am I doing this correctly” are frequent questions from clients regarding FMLA administration. This is the 21st blog in this series, which digs into the FMLA regulations to address discrete mis-steps that can result in legal liability.
Dictating the documentation an employee provides to establish a family relationship.…
Unsettled Waters at the Accommodation of Last Resort
In 2019, we are poised to learn where the Fourth Circuit stands on reassignment as an accommodation—an issue that has split the Circuits.
Before discussing where courts are divided, let’s start with the consensus. First, the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) clearly requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to the limitations of an employee with…
How the Government Shutdown Impacts Employee Leave Requests
As of midnight December 21, 2018, 380,000 federal employees were placed on furlough. An additional 420,000 are considered “excepted” and have continued working without pay. Federal employers and employees should be aware of how the government shutdown impacts both paid time off requests as well as approved FMLA leaves.
According to the Office of Personnel…
What Am I Doing Wrong?? Common FMLA Mistakes
“What did I do wrong?” and “Am I doing this correctly” are frequent questions from clients regarding FMLA administration. Up until now, the most common mistakes were addressed in this blog. Now that we have hit the twentieth post in this series, we are going to dig a bit deeper into the FMLA regulations to…
Appellate Courts Agree: Regular, Reliable Attendance Is Essential Function of Most Jobs
Recent decisions from the Second, Fifth, and Eighth Circuit Courts of Appeals exemplify the growing consensus amongst courts that even employees with a disability are generally required to comply with company attendance policies. While employers may need to provide leave as a reasonable accommodation, many courts generally agree that regular, reliable attendance is an essential…