On March 16th, a bipartisan group of Representatives, which included Paul Gosar, Don Beyer, Martha McSally, Brad Schneider, Tom Suozzi and Barbara Comstock, introduced the Parental Bereavement Act of 2017, also known as the Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger Act. See H.R. 1560. This Act would add the “death of a child” as a covered
Fear of Failure – Terminating Employees with Extensive FMLA and non-FMLA Absences
It’s a scenario that frustrates many employers. An employee with extensive intermittent FMLA absences, possibly including absences for different covered reasons, is also absent for many unspecified or unprotected reasons which lead to progressive discipline. The employee’s absences eventually reach the point of warranting termination and the employee does not provide additional medical information to
Employers Beware: Intermittent FMLA Absences Not Subject to “Proof of Need”
On January 27, 2017, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision that provides a cautionary tale to employers about seeking documentation from an employee on intermittent FMLA leave. In Diamond v. Hospice of Florida Keys, Inc., Case No. 15-15716 (11th Circuit, Jan. 27, 217), the Court held that an employer’s request
Think Before You Call: Contacting Employees On FMLA Leave
How many employers have had this situation arise? An employee requests and receives FMLA leave. While they are out, the employee’s supervisor needs to locate a document, find out the status of a project the employee was working on, or a crucial question comes up that only the employee on leave can answer.
According to
Beware What You Share – Disclosure of Medical Information Results in Retaliation and Interference Claims
A United States District Court in Florida thwarted an employer’s attempt to toss the FMLA claims of an employee who sued after his medical condition was disclosed to co-workers who subsequently made fun of him. The employee requested FMLA leave after he developed a chronic condition with his genito-urinary system. The leave request was approved
A Cautionary Tale: How Sudden Changes to Intermittent FMLA Can Cost You
A January 9 decision by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals serves as a vivid reminder that employers must tread with great caution when managing intermittent leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. As the ruling in Wink v. Miller Compressing Company highlights, making abrupt changes in leave accommodations or providing misinformation about leave
Employee Cannot Maintain Collective Action for Employer’s Failure to Post FMLA Notice
We all know that the FMLA is fraught with pitfalls that can lead to costly mistakes. But a collective action for simply failing to post a notice? On January 6, 2017 a U.S. District Court in Maryland rejected such an attempt. In Antoine v. Amick Farms, LLC the plaintiffs claim that a class of employees
Does Calling Someone an “Injury Compensation Specialist” Prove FMLA Retaliation?
Perhaps not, according to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Not all retaliation is the same, the court reminds us in its December 14, 2016 decision in Chase v. U.S. Postal Service. Evidence that a supervisor retaliated because of an employee’s workers’ compensation claim does not itself prove the supervisor also retaliated because the employee took concurrent leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Mocking an employee’s allegedly fake injury does not necessarily show hostility toward use of FMLA leave.
Continue Reading Does Calling Someone an “Injury Compensation Specialist” Prove FMLA Retaliation?
Is Santa Claus a Key Employee?
At North Pole Enterprises, the company’s entire existence is dependent upon a single delivery on the night of December 24. On December 23, Santa Claus, the only licensed delivery driver at North Pole Enterprises, injures his back while loading packages in his “truck.” Later that day, Mr. Claus contacts the Human Resources Department at North
Department of Labor to Seek Feedback Regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is looking to collect data from employers and employees regarding their respective “need for” and “experience with” the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The data collection period is expected to occur in 2017 and 2018. From employees, the survey will seek information regarding “use of leave, need for