FMLA

Employees must notify employers of their need to take time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) when such leave is foreseeable, but who exactly should they tell? Their supervisor? HR? A third-party administrator (TPA)? Multiple people? The answer may depend partly on when the leave is requested (e.g., initial notice versus subsequent…

The U.S. Department of Labor/Wage and Hour Division has continued its practice of issuing opinion letters. It recently issued an opinion letter that addresses the question of whether an employee may take FMLA leave to attend a Committee on Special Education (“CSE”) meeting to discuss a child’s Individualized Education Program (“IEP”). See DOL Opinion Letter…

Parents can take Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time off to attend special education meetings—called individualized education program (IEP) meetings—for children with serious health conditions, according to an Aug. 8 U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) opinion letter. FMLA leave likely will increase as parents learn that time off for this purpose is an option.…

A short period of time between leave taken under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and a subsequent disciplinary action does not prove the two are related, according to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The plaintiff worked as a surgical assistant for St. Luke’s Episcopal-Presbyterian Hospitals from 1995 until her termination in…

Take care of yourself! In medicine, sometimes the practices that get people in trouble are pretty simple. Too many nachos, and not enough leafy greens. You’d rather binge-watch Seasons 1-3 of Stranger Things than go for a walk. You hate needles, so you haven’t been to the doctor in 20 years. The same principle often applies…

A bakery that fired an employee who left work early to see doctors concerning his prostate cancer, for which he sought Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, has viable claims even though his doctor did not timely certify the absences for FMLA leave, a federal district court ruled. The plaintiff worked for Lewis Brothers,…

Employers cannot permit employees to use PTO or other paid leave prior to using unpaid FMLA leave for an FMLA qualifying condition, according to a new Department of Labor Opinion Letter. The Opinion Letter also provides that employers cannot designate more than 12 weeks of leave per year as FMLA (or 26 weeks per year if…

The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently upheld a trial court decision in favor of JetBlue concerning the termination of a disabled employee due to her excessive absenteeism. Miceli v. JetBlue Airways Corp., No. 18-1345 (January 28, 2019). Many employers are apprehensive about terminating the employment of disabled employees, even when…

Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released new Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) notices and certification forms on September 4, 2018. The new forms are valid until August 31, 2021, and are available for download from the DOL Website. Notably, the DOL did not make any material changes to the prior forms;…

Employees eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) might want to decline FMLA leave for a variety of reasons, but employers often can designate the time off as FMLA anyway. Note though that in jurisdictions covered by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the employer must allow the employee to decline…

When They Need to Take FMLA Leave, Who Should Workers Tell?

DOL Issues Opinion Letter on FMLA Leave and IEP Meetings

Parents May Take FMLA Leave for Special Education Meetings

Timing Alone Is Not Enough to Prove FMLA Retaliation

Ten Ways Employers Get Themselves Sued (Part One)

FMLA May Protect Leave for Visits to the Doctor

FMLA-Qualifying Leave Must Run Concurrently With Paid Leave Policies

May an Employer Terminate a Disabled Employee for Excessive Absenteeism?

New FMLA Forms Available from Department of Labor

Employers Often Designate Leave as FMLA Despite Objections