Tag: FMLA leave

Ask the Expert: Determining FMLA Leave

Question: One of our employees is on intermittent Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. She’s gotten sick and claims it’s unrelated to her reasons for being on FMLA leave. Can we include these days in her FMLA time and have them go unpaid? Answer: No. Unless you have reason to believe she’s being untruthful, […]

Case Study: Can Joy at Employee Firing Be Evidence of FMLA Violation?

Here’s a tale from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Texas employers), which told a Texas trial court that it erred in dismissing a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) retaliation lawsuit against the city of Granbury. In deconstructing the appeals court’s opinion, we see how judges—like each and […]

Case Study: TCU Aces FMLA Quiz

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is riddled with all sorts of employer obligations and therefore with all sorts of potential violations. Recently, TCU gave a seminar on dodging an FMLA interference claim. FMLA Interference? The FMLA forbids employers from retaliating against an employee for seeking FMLA leave. It also (unlike most other employment laws) […]

Paternity Leave Offers Parental Equality

In the evolving landscape of workplace dynamics, the concept of paternity leave has emerged as a significant point of discussion. While women have historically faced challenges related to maternity leave, the spotlight is now also on the rights and expectations surrounding fathers. As companies strive for inclusivity and equity, understanding the nuances of paternity leave […]

Managing the Challenges of Intermittent FMLA

In an earlier post, I reviewed the basics steps to take to avoid Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) mishaps and best practices to follow when eligible employees request FMLA leave. But, matters involving FMLA leave can quickly become complicated, especially in regards to the implementation of intermittent FMLA leave. Managing intermittent FMLA leave creates […]

Avoiding FMLA Mishaps

We all know the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave to care for a serious medical condition of the employee or the employee’s family member. Despite the fact the FMLA is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, employers are still grappling with its […]

Evolving HR: FMLA and the Modern Workplace

Employers with over 50 employees regularly address employees’ requests for leave under the FMLA. When the FMLA was originally enacted in 1993, the workplace looked a bit different than it does now. Most employees went to a main worksite and job applicants came to a location to apply for employment. In today’s work environment, many employees work […]

Paid Family Leave Carries a Strong ROI

Life happens. Not the Instagram #bestlife, in which everything looks in place—your work, your family, and your mental state—but real life, a life comprising a mix of joy and distress, unscheduled and on time, and in and out of control. When I was starting out, there was a work, work, work attitude and a stigma […]

What Tiger Woods’s Foot Can Teach Employers About Managing Employees’ Medical Conditions

Golfing icon Tiger Woods had to withdraw from the Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia, last week due to a painful foot condition called plantar fasciitis, which causes a stabbing pain in the heel or foot. Video footage shows Woods limping during his third round of play after reaggravating the condition while competing in the tournament. […]

Facebook Messenger for FMLA Leave Requests? Maybe

Even with absences covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), an employer is entitled to put policies in place describing how employees must notify the employer about their health-related absences. As the means of communicating with supervisors have changed and increased over time, whether an employee has given adequate notice of their absence […]