FMLA
Department of Labor Issues Opinion Letter Clarifying FMLA Leave for Overtime Workers
The United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) released an opinion letter on February 9, 2023 (the “Letter”) clarifying covered leave for overtime-eligible employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The Letter pertains to FMLA-eligible employees who work more than 40 hours in a given workweek. The…
Read MoreDOL Clarifies Whether FLSA and FMLA Protections Apply to Remote Employees
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued new guidance regarding how remote employees should be paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and when they are eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FLSA requires covered employers to pay nonexempt employees for all hours worked, including certain rest…
Read MoreEEOC Announces Enforcement Priorities for 2023-2027
On Tuesday January 10, 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) publicly released its Draft Strategic Enforcement Plan (“SEP”) for fiscal years 2023-2027. The SEP describes the EEOC’s top enforcement priorities, making it critical information for employers around the country. The Draft SEP sets out the EEOC’s six subject matter priorities for fiscal years 2023-2027:…
Read MoreQuiet Quitting and Today’s Workforce Challenges
The American workforce is in crisis, buffeted by one challenge after another – some recent, and some, like demographic changes, that have been building for decades. At a recent employment law seminar – our first in-person employment program since 2019 – Pierce Atwood brought together clients from health care, higher education, accounting, the nonprofit sector,…
Read MoreToyota Moves to Dismiss Proposed FMLA Class Action, Compel Arbitration
Toyota Motor North American (Toyota) has asked a federal judge to dismiss a proposed class action lawsuit over whether the company underestimated employees’ hours to cut down on their entitlement to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Toyota also asked that the judge compel arbitration of the claim, alleging that the plaintiff…
Read MoreUnlimited Time Off Presents Hidden Challenges for Employers
We have increasingly been fielding inquiries from organizations that are looking to implement some version of unlimited time off for their employees. They saw that employees continued to be productive while working remotely during the pandemic, and they want to give them the flexibility to take time off as/when needed – provided the work still…
Read MoreWorkers Compensation Claim? Light Duty? Remember The FMLA!
A recent decision out of the Eleventh Circuit is a good reminder for employers on how the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and state law workers compensation schemes overlap and interact. The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal statute that entitles eligible workers who need to recover from a serious injury to take…
Read MoreFMLA Allows Leave for Mental Health Treatment, DOL Reminds Employers
The Family and Medical Leave Act protects time off for mental health treatment, the U.S. Department of Labor reminded employers May 25. The agency released two guidance documents — Fact Sheet #280: Mental Health Conditions and the FMLA and Frequently Asked Questions on the FMLA’s mental health provisions — to help employers and workers understand…
Read MoreIntersection of ADA, COVID-19 Requires Creative Reopening Policies, EEOC Official Says
The EEOC has received hundreds of charges involving both COVID-19 vaccination and the ADA, according to Evangeline Hawthorne, the agency’s Tampa field office director. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has received thousands of charges related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began. As of December 2021, more than 2,700 charges were related to COVID-19 vaccines,…
Read MoreWhen Might an Employer Question FMLA Certification?
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) certification of a serious health condition must be complete and sufficient, but sometimes it’s neither. Employers rarely take a hard line but instead ask employees to provide more information to finish out the certification. Here are some tips on how to recognize something is wrong with the certification and…
Read More