• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Leave

Families of veterans, service members get new FMLA rights

11/03/2009

You wouldn’t think a Pentagon budget bill would affect HR, but the 2010 Department of Defense appropriations law does—by expanding the military family leave amendments to the FMLA that were enacted last year. The legislation provided two new kinds of leave for employees with close relatives serving on active duty in the armed forces:

Know the leave factors to consider when the FMLA and the ADA might both apply

11/02/2009

Many employers believe that if an employee needs accommodations for a disability that’s related to the same serious health condition covered by the FMLA, they don’t have to provide any additional leave once the employee has used 12 weeks of FMLA leave. That’s not always true. In fact, additional unpaid leave after FMLA leave has been exhausted may be a reasonable accommodation under the ADA.

Must we accommodate beliefs that don’t seem particularly ‘religious’?

11/02/2009

Q. We have an employee who claims to be a witch. She contends that witchcraft is her religion and has asked for certain holidays off. Are we required to accommodate this employee’s request?

How should our attendance policy address absences and lateness covered by the FMLA?

10/30/2009

Q. We have a point system for absences and lateness. Our no-fault attendance policy states that if employees call in after the start of their shifts, they’ll receive two points. What if the reason for an absence is covered by the FMLA? Should the employee still receive the two points?

More than 5,000 have used N.J. state paid family leave

10/27/2009

New Jersey is one of two states in the nation that offers paid family leave to workers. According to Gov. Jon Corzine’s office, the number of workers using the program passed 5,000 in September—not bad for a program that started July 1.

Know the FMLA, ADA rules when employee asks for time off to care for disabled relative

10/27/2009

Employees who need to take care of a disabled relative may be eligible for FMLA leave if the disability qualifies as a serious health condition—but only if the employee has worked enough hours to be eligible for FMLA leave. Likewise, employees sometimes think their employers must provide them with reasonable accommodations so they can care for a disabled relative under the ADA’s so-called association clause—that’s simply not true.

Have solid reason before firing employee on FMLA leave

10/27/2009

Employers can terminate employees who are on FMLA leave if the employers are sure they can later prove to a jury that they would have made the decision to terminate whether the employee took leave or not. That’s a tough burden, so you must make sure you have a solid reason—and you must document it.

Beware disciplining employees for FMLA-related tardiness

10/26/2009

Employees eligible for intermittent FMLA leave are entitled to take that leave at the beginning of their scheduled shifts if they need to. While that may make them late for work, you can’t punish that tardiness, as long as the employee follows your call-in policies and the underlying reason for being late is related to intermittent FMLA leave.

Don’t guess on need for FMLA leave! Insist employees follow usual notification procedures

10/15/2009

Employees sometimes think that just calling in sick is enough to put their employers on notice that they need FMLA leave. That’s simply not the case. In the following case, the 8th Circuit concluded the new language in the FMLA means employers aren’t obligated to guess about an employee’s need for FMLA leave based on behavior.

Include family caregivers in anti-discrimination policies

10/09/2009

Family responsibility discrimination (FRD)—discrimination against employees because of their family caregiving duties—has become a hotbed for litigation against employers, and every indication is that this trend will continue. So it’s critical for employers to recognize the potential for liability and take necessary steps to avoid being the next defendant.