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FMLA

Make sure your good records are dated, too

10/12/2017
When it comes to litigation, employers that keep meticulous performance records and can pinpoint exactly when they made important employment decisions typically fare better than those who keep sloppy records.

What if we want to discuss good news during FMLA leave?

10/06/2017
Q. Can we ask an employee who is on FMLA leave to come in to discuss the possibility of applying for a promotion? Might it be better to discuss this by phone?

Are we allowed to contact an employee who is out on FMLA leave?

10/06/2017
Q. Is it OK to contact an employee during FMLA leave or ask him or her to come in to the office?

Document policy details, decisions based on them

09/21/2017
Be sure to document the reason why you treat some employees differently than others. For example, if employees can’t take leave until they have completed a probationary period, clearly explain that in your handbook.

Court: Nursing mom entitled to light duty

09/21/2017
In an important case that could carve out new rights for new mothers, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that employees returning to work after giving birth may be entitled to light-duty work to accommodate the need to express breast milk for their babies.

FMLA and NY Paid Family Leave Law and Disability Benefits Law

09/07/2017
It’s time to answer some of the trickier questions about the interaction of the FMLA, the New York Paid Family Leave Law and the state’s Disability Benefits Law.

Date of firing notice–not last day of work–determines when discrimination occurred

09/07/2017
An employee who believes she has been fired for discriminatory reasons has the right to sue her employer as soon as she receives a termination notice. That’s true even if the termination isn’t yet effective.

Explain how maternity, FMLA leave overlap

09/07/2017
Many employers have maternity leave policies that provide a period of paid time off following birth or adoption. That’s fine. But if you intend for paid maternity leave to run concurrently with federal FMLA leave, be sure you spell that out.

What’s good enough to win one case might be a loser when applied to a different claim

08/30/2017
Even if you think you have a rock-solid reason to fire someone, don’t count on it as an airtight defense against every lawsuit. Your rationale might, for example, be an excellent defense against an age discrimination claim, but not against an FMLA claim.

Beware firing as employee nears eligibility to take FMLA leave

08/30/2017
If an employee says she is going to need FMLA leave as soon as she becomes eligible, terminating her may amount to interference with the right to take FMLA leave. That’s true even though she wasn’t eligible for leave when she was fired.