Source: https://www.employerlawreport.com/tags/fmla/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 20:14:31+00:00

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In a decision issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (the “Court”) on January 26, 2015, an employee who, but for statements made by his employer, would not have been eligible for leave under the FMLA was nevertheless found to be entitled to it. The Court’s opinion in Tilley v. Kalamazoo County Road Commission, et al. should serve as a warning to all employers that statements made to employees about their FMLA eligibility may be binding, even if the employees do not meet the eligibility criteria required by the statute.
Circuit Courts remind employers that notice is the key in administering the FMLA!
Don’t Play Fast and Loose with FMLA rights!
Concluding that the employer’s failure to notify a pregnant employee of her FMLA rights and to reinstate her to her former position or any other equivalent position after taking leave unlawfully interfered with her FMLA rights, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Clements v. Prudential Protective Services, LLC, reversed a district court finding of summary judgment in the employer’s favor.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) prohibits more than just retaliation — it also prohibits interference. More specifically, the FMLA provides: “it shall be unlawful for any employer to interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of or the attempt to exercise, any right provided” by the FMLA and interference claims arise when an employer’s actions prevent or interfere with an eligible employee’s rights under the FMLA. 29 USC § 2615.
Two recent Ohio district court cases highlight just how important it is for employers to keep the interference provision in mind when navigating employee FMLA requests.
I have to admit that I generally love it when a federal court judge begins an opinion with a flourish like this: “December 20, 2011, was defining day for Appellant Angela Powell-Pickett.” Almost made me think of Dickens’ “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” (OK, maybe not quite.) But I knew from that first line in the court’s opinion in would be a good one. And I wasn’t disappointed.
No One Said Anything About Light Duty!
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s grant of Summary Judgment in James v. Hyatt Regency Chicago reminding employers they are under no obligation under the FMLA to restore an employee to his or her position if the employee is unable to perform the essential functions of the job.
The summary judgment decision issued on October 31st by Ohio federal district court judge David Dowd in Barnett v. Aultman Hospital contains important reminders for both private employers and their employees. For employers, there is the reminder that they are not bound by the First Amendment’s protections for free speech. And for employees: Always remember to confirm that your supervisor actually has been fired before going to Facebook to celebrate.
Jaszczyszyn v. Advantage Health Physician Network, (6th Cir. Nov 7, 2012) involves three seemingly-unrelated topics: social media, Polish festivals, and the honest belief defense to FMLA claims. When combined, however, they turn into a fun set of facts that the Sixth Circuit recently got to chew on.
The recent decision out of Texas in Sechler v. Modular Space Corporation highlights a recurring issue for employers — managing employees who return to work following rehabilitation for substance abuse. In Sechler, the plaintiff, a recovering alcoholic, was by all accounts an excellent employee for approximately 10 years until he experienced a relapse. He requested EAP services and, as a result received outpatient treatment for about a month.
On March 20, 2012, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that states cannot be sued for denying workers sick leave under the FMLA.
The Department of Labor ("DOL") published proposed regulations to the Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA") on February 15, 2012, and the deadline for public comments has been extended through Monday, April 30, 2012.
The DOL introduced the proposed regulations to implement and interpret the 2009 amendments to the federal FMLA. They address three specific areas: 1) Military Family Leave; 2) Flight Crew FMLA Eligibility; and 3) the manner in which employers calculate increments of FMLA leave.

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