When it comes to administering FMLA, I’ll admit — I have grown cynical and hardened. Like a doctor who becomes desensitized to blood and guts, I, too, have become desensitized to an employee’s antics while on FMLA leave. Taking FMLA leave for a beach vacation, you say? Sounds likely. Caring for your dying mother when, … Continue Reading
Thanks to those who attended my webinar last week with Matt Morris on “Complying with the FMLA and ADA When Your Employee is Dealing with a Mental Health Condition.” A link to the recording can be found here, and the presentation can be downloaded here. To those who attended, thank you. To those who missed it, you … Continue Reading
When: Wednesday, December 13 (12:00 – 1:15 p.m. central time) Online registration: Click Here Employers are increasingly managing employees who suffer from mental health conditions such as depression, stress, and panic attacks. Studies show that these mental health conditions are leading to increased use of FMLA leave. Administering FMLA leave and ADA accommodations in these situations can … Continue Reading
There may not be an issue that strikes more fear in the land of HR than how to deal with an employee who cannot return to work after FMLA leave expires. Is some additional leave beyond 12 weeks required? The answer is almost always ‘yes.’ But how much leave are we obligated to provide? For ages, I’ve … Continue Reading
An employee’s 12 weeks of FMLA leave has exhausted, and over the past several weeks, he’s provided you a series of vague doctor’s notes typically containing nothing more than a one-liner extending his medical leave of absence until his next appointment. Sound familiar? Makes you want to scream, right? What if I told you that, instead … Continue Reading
This is a story about Scott. He has a medical condition affecting his genito-urinary system. In the words of my two-year old, Maggie, this condition sounds yucky. Like other employees with a genito-urinary disorder, Scott didn’t want his medical condition broadcast. To. Anyone. In requesting FMLA leave for his condition, Scott submitted medical certification containing “sensitive … Continue Reading
Over the past few months, I’ve been asked by clients whether foreign nationals who are in the United States on work visas are eligible for FMLA leave. Honestly, I didn’t know the answer to the question when I was first asked. So, I took this question to the one and only person I entrust with all … Continue Reading
There is a hot debate brewing over the tantalizing question, “Does a request for FMLA leave also constitute a request for a reasonable accommodation under the ADA?” The worlds of FMLA and ADA clash! Surely, this question ranks up there with life’s unanswered questions. You know, questions like: When does it stop being partly cloudy and … Continue Reading
Thanks again to those who attended my June 23 webinar with EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum on the topic of “leave” as an ADA reasonable accommodation in light of the EEOC’s new technical resource issued on this topic in early May 2016. If you missed the program, you can access the webinar and materials here. This is the second … Continue Reading
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of conducting a webinar with EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum on the topic of “leave” as an ADA reasonable accommodation in light of the EEOC’s new technical resource issued on this topic in early May 2016. If you missed the program, you can access the webinar and materials here. In addition … Continue Reading
When: Thursday, June 23, 2016 (12:30 – 1:45 p.m. CDT) Online registration: Click here This is going to be fun! Earlier this month, the EEOC issued a technical assistance resource on leave as an ADA reasonable accommodation under the ADA. I am delighted that EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum will join me for a webinar to take a … Continue Reading
For years, employers across America have been clamoring for guidance from the EEOC about how they should manage an employee’s request for extended or intermittent leave from work and how much leave is considered as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. This week, employers received an answer. Well, kind of. Yesterday, the EEOC issued a resource document — … Continue Reading
One of the most difficult issues an HR professional or in-house employment counsel faces is how to deal with an employee who cannot return to work after FMLA leave expires. Is additional leave beyond 12 weeks required? The answer is almost always ‘yes.’ But how much leave are we obligated to provide? And what if the employee … Continue Reading
Thanks to those who attended my webinar last week on FMLA and ADA Overlap Issues. If you missed the program, you can access the webinar here. Our PowerPoint from the webinar can be downloaded here (pdf). In a mere hour plus, Sara Elder, (Division Vice President, Fair Employment & Compliance, for Sears Holdings Management Corporation) Matt Morris … Continue Reading
It’s Webinar Time! When managing an employee with a medical condition, the issues involved regularly implicate the FMLA or ADA — or both. Using interactive case studies, we will address critical FMLA and ADA compliance considerations when dealing with the most difficult employee leave and accommodation scenarios. Please join us on Thursday, November 12 (12:00 – … Continue Reading
Do you know what happens when you maintain a policy or practice that requires an employee to return to work without restrictions or “100% healed”? You pay. A lot. Just ask Brookdale Senior Living Communities. Brookdale employed Bernadine, who suffered from fibromyalgia. According to the EEOC, Brookdale refused Bernadine’s accommodation requests for a temporary modified work schedule, an ergonomic … Continue Reading
This week, I had the pleasure of presenting with Department of Labor and EEOC officials on key developments out of Washington with respect to leave management and accommodations. Our presentation was part of the annual conference of the Disability Management Employer Coalition. If you’re an employer and not a member of DMEC, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Find out more … Continue Reading
Q: One of our employees, a front desk receptionist, maintains an erratic work schedule because she must attend to her autistic son. In short, her son throws a tantrum at school if his mom does not personally drop him off and pick him up from school. For instance, he hides under a table, refuses to participate, and becomes very aggressive … Continue Reading
Is that all it takes to get you to click on my blog entry — make a reference to “sperm” in the blog title and post a silly photo of this little guy? That was like taking candy from a baby! Now that we have that behind us, I was posed an interesting question a few weeks back: Can … Continue Reading
All across America this morning, pregnant employees are screaming out in muted shouts of joy and giving each other belly bumps. Last year, I reported on the EEOC’s recent pregnancy discrimination guidance, which interpreted the Pregnancy Discrimination Act as requiring workplace accommodations for pregnant employees even if impairments suffered during pregnancy do not rise to the level of a … Continue Reading
Last week, I had the pleasure of presenting with EEOC Regional Attorney in the Chicago District John Hendrickson on the EEOC’s recently drafted Pregnancy Discrimination Enforcement Guidance and how these guidelines will impact the manner in which employers will be required to provide accommodations to its pregnant employees. The session was part of my law firm’s … Continue Reading
Adam was a maintenance technician for EZEFLOW, a company which manufactures pipe fittings. He also was a marine corps veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon his discharge from the marines, Adam started his employment with EZEFLOW and quickly began experiencing seizures later determined to be caused by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Adam … Continue Reading
This one is a real headache. Sam oversees a storage area for the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) and during certain times of the year, his position requires a fairly extensive amount of overtime. For years, Sam has suffered from “cluster headaches,” which are far worse than migraines and can last for days. Sam’s physician … Continue Reading
Earlier this week, the EEOC issued new enforcement guidance on pregnancy discrimination, warning employers of their obligation to provide pregnant employees reasonable accommodations in the workplace and giving employers insight into how the EEOC will enforce pregnancy-related issues under Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) in the future. As expected, the guidance confirms that the EEOC will broadly interpret when … Continue Reading
