Family and Medical Leave

Very special FMLA/ADA greetings from Huntsville, Alabama

April 10, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

I took this picture. Not bad, eh?

Filed under: “Didn’t think I’d be saying that in 2018.”

But, it’s all good.

I am grateful to Ben Eubanks and the Northern Alabama Chapter of Society for Human Resource Management for this opportunity to debut my new and improved “My Employees Can Miss How Much Work?!? Managing the Challenges of Leave Under the FMLA and ADA?” to a fantastic audience of HR professionals in Huntsville, AL today.

From the archives: “How do you handle FMLA and FLSA for a snow day office closure?”

March 21, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Yes, those are two of my children. (Not pictured: “Dad of the Year” Trophy)

A little over two years ago, I blogged here about how the Fair Labor Standards Act and Family and Medical Leave Act may impact your business if it closes for a day due to inclement weather. Now that I work “in the cloud,” this doesn’t impact me. Heck, I’m probably three Starbucks Flat Whites in by the time you’re reading this.

And thank god for the blazing-fast wi-fi here. I can’t get over the clarity on the live feed of my kids shoveling the driveway. With the extra muscles and endurance they’ve added in the past few years, if I don’t see pavement by the time I get home…

Anyway, here’s the blog post. Continue reading

No one ever said that this FMLA stuff would be easy.

March 19, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Pexels.com (https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-calendar-close-up-composition-273011/)

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, an eligible employee is entitled to take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave in a 12-month period.

So, what happens if an employee exhausts 12 weeks of leave and doesn’t return to work on the next working day? Firing that employee wouldn’t violate the FMLA would it?

Or, could it? Continue reading

What might federal paid family leave look like? (I’ll give you a sneak peak.)

February 8, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Pexels.com

Sorry, Eagles fans. It doesn’t cover taking the fam to today’s parade.

(I’ll post some pics tomorrow). Continue reading

Wow, I can actually feel myself becoming a more insufferable Eagles fan with this FMLA post.

February 7, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Photofunia.com

Happy belated 25th Birthday, Family and Medical Leave Act.

A couple of my blogging buddies, Jeff Nowak and Jon Hyman, formally recognized the occasion on Monday. Here is Jon’s post. Here is Jeff’s post.

Although I’m late to the party, I did bake a cake. And I today’s post is about a recent FMLA-decision-cum-HR/manager-screw-up that you may want to read all the way through to avoid a similar misfortune. Continue reading

Don’t forget leave as an ADA accommodation. (Yeah, that’s right. Leave!)

February 2, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Photofunia.com

Over the Summer, I blogged here about the Seventh Circuit’s decision in Severson v. Heartland Woodcraft, Inc. (opinion here).

In Severson, the Court concluded that “a multimonth leave of absence is beyond the scope of a reasonable accommodation under the ADA….Simply put, an extended leave of absence does not give a disabled individual the means to work; it excuses his not working.” (my emphasis)

It’s an excellent opinion for employers, especially those that do business in Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

But, I want to use today’s post to refocus and remind you that leave can be a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Continue reading