A new bill, introduced last week in this U.S. House of Representatives, would amend the Family and Medical Leave Act to permit parents to take up to 12 weeks of leave to mourn the death of a child. Here is a link to the bill, known as the Sarah Grace-Farley-Kluger Act.…
Are you headed to Washington, DC for SHRM’s 2017 Employment Law and Legislative Conference on March 13-15? I’d love to meet up with you. Well, unless you’re really creepy. Forget about trying to grab me after my ADA/FMLA session. You’ll be one of dozens of HR professionals sprinting to the front of…
You know, it’s one thing to communicate with employees on FMLA to express concern for their well-being or determine whether they plan to return to work as scheduled. But, when you turn into the FMLA Police, that’s when problems ensue. [cue music] Don’t do this. Consider this recent Eleventh Circuit…
A little over three years ago, I blogged here about the Senate and House each introducing the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act. (FAMILY Act). The FAMILY Act, which never made it out of Congress to President Obama, would have created a national paid family and medical leave program for all workers,…
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has issued its first precedential decision confirming that the honest-belief doctrine defeats a retaliation claim under the Family and Medical Leave Act. In plain English, the court in Capps v. Mondelez Global, LLC concluded that an employer can fire an employee whom it truly believes…
So, where were we? ***Stirs lime rickey*** Ah yes, Rajai Davis had just blasted a two-run homer off of the video camera in left field to tie the World Series at 6 in Game 7 in the 8th inning and… (spoiler alert) The Cubs won. But, yes, before I…
What are some of the signs of employee abuse of leave taken under the Family and Medical Leave Act? Monday and Friday FMLA days FMLA to avoid scheduled overtime FMLA after being denied a request for day(s) off FMLA immediately before/after holidays and scheduled PTO In Sharif v. United…
With all those notice requirements and certifications and such, it’s easy to get bogged down in the minutia associated with an employee’s request for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. But, a recent case is a good reminder not to overlook a basic FMLA tenet: an employee…
Someone didn’t read my post back in May. [cue music] Last night, I read this opinion about an employee-plaintiff whose position required her to conduct several weekly tours of the employer-defendant’s facility. In 2012, the plaintiff fell on a ladder, broke her leg, and took 12 weeks of leave under…
If your Saturday night consists of nerding up on HR compliance with both the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, why fight it? We’re kindred spirits. So, take my hand… Or, maybe just email me — yes, email is better — for the scintillating PowerPoint debuting…