FMLA Case Demonstrates that Employees Cannot Use Protected Leave as a Shield Against Warranted Discipline, Even Discharge

The intersection between an employer's obligations under the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and its enforcement of performance standards sometimes feels fraught with fear. However, nothing in the FMLA prohibits an employer from taking action against an employee for legitimate reasons, even when that employee is on or returns from a protected leave. Those were the issues before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Anderson v. Nations Lending Corporation decided on March 9, 2022. More ›

President Biden's American Rescue Plan Would Reinstate and Expand Federally Mandated Paid Sick and FMLA Leave

On January 20, 2021, President Biden announced the principal points of his American Rescue Plan (the Plan), a new COVID-19 relief package that would revive the federal mandate on employers to provide paid sick and paid FMLA leave for certain COVID-19-related absences. On February 1, 2021, Republican lawmakers responded with a competing relief package that does not include those paid leave mandates. As of now, neither side has released a draft of the actual proposed legislation. Much of what we know comes from the announcement released by the Biden administration and a chart from Republican Senators. More ›

Hinshaw's 12 Days of California Labor & Employment Series – Day 9: Additional Leave Law Updates

In the spirit of the season—and keeping some semblance of normal—we are using our annual "12 days of the holidays" blog series to address new California laws and their impact on California employers. On this ninth day of the holidays, my labor and employment attorney gave to me: nine ladies dancing and AB 2992 and AB 2399.

Both AB 2992 and AB 2399 include expansions for extended leave and are effective January 1, 2021. Given the particularly sensitive areas that AB 2992 addresses and the potentially broad implications of AB 2399, it is especially important for employers to know this legislation and be prepared. More ›

Federal Court in New York Strikes Down Key Provisions of DOL's FFCRA Final Rule

In State of New York v. United States Department of Labor, the Southern District of New York struck down several key aspects of the Department of Labor's (DOL) Final Rule implementing the provisions of Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Brought by the State of New York, this suit challenged several features of the DOL's Final Rule as exceeding the DOL's authority. The DOL cross-filed for summary judgment and moved to dismiss for lack of standing. More ›

Employers Beware: Terminating an Employee with COVID-19 May Violate Several Federal Statutes

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of whether an employer may lawfully terminate an employee who has contracted COVID-19 has continued to arise. Terminating an employee because they have contracted COVID-19 carries significant legal risk. Some employers might consider the decision to terminate an employee a safety measure meant to protect employees and customers from coming into contact with someone who has had the illness. But doing so may run afoul of several federal statutes, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), as well as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). More ›

U.S. Department of Labor Rings in the New Year with New Opinion Letters Regarding FMLA and the FLSA

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued three opinion letters on January 7, 2020—one addressing the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and two on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FMLA letter clarifies whether a combined general health district must consider employees of the county located in said health district when determining FMLA eligibility. As for the FLSA letters, one explores how a nondiscretionary bonus factors into an employee's regular rate of pay, while the other looks at whether per-project payments satisfy the salary basis test for exemption. Below, we take a closer look at each of these letters. More ›

Under Surveillance: Investigating Intermittent FMLA Abuse

Since being enacted in the early 1990s, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has provided meaningful protections for employees dealing with their own serious health issues or those of immediate family members through continuous and intermittent leave options. Human resource professionals and employment lawyers alike recognize how valuable intermittent leave is for employees needing periodic care; however, they also recognize this form of leave also is abused. Employers need to be able to effectively investigate suspected benefit abuse and discourage the dishonest use of the FMLA. More ›

DOL Opinion Letter Expands Scope of Activities Eligible for Intermittent Family Leave

On August 8, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division (collectively the "DOL") issued Opinion Letter FMLA2019-2-A, which interpreted the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to include providing intermittent family leave for a mother to attend committee meetings related to the serious health conditions of her children. The Opinion Letter expands the scope of activities eligible for intermittent FMLA leave. More ›

Employers Must Comply with FMLA Leave Designation Rules

Employers seeking to juggle employee leave demands with their own regulatory compliance obligations received clarification from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Specifically, the DOL published a clarifying opinion letter regarding the issue of whether an employer may delay the designation of leave that qualifies under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and provide employees with leave beyond the 12-week statutory entitlement. The DOL ruled the employer cannot delay the designation. More ›

When Taking a Mexican Vacation During Your FMLA Leave is Not Grounds for Termination

A recent decision issued by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court offers up a good reminder that what employers may consider FMLA abuse may not in fact be FMLA abuse under the law. That's exactly the scenario that played out in Richard A. DaPrato vs. Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. More ›