Opinion ID: 867977
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Legitimate Reason for Madry’s Termination

Text: Gibraltar has offered evidence that its legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for failing to restore Madry’s employment was a lack of work caused by a downturn in business. Gibraltar has provided economic, production, and labor data to support its position. The data shows that sales at its Detroit and Flint1 facilities dropped 24% in December 2008 when compared to December 2007. The data further shows that sales dropped 14% in January 2009 when compared to January 2008. 1 The Flint facility did not have an accounts receivable clerk. The accounts receivable work from Flint was handled by the accounts receivable clerk(s) from the Detroit facility, and thus is relevant in considering Gibraltar’s proffered reason. -4- No. 12-1286 Madry v. Gibraltar Nat’l Corp. Additionally, the data shows that production units dropped 32% and 47% during those same periods. Lastly, the data shows that labor hours worked dropped by 30% and 17% during December 2008 and January 2009 when compared to the previous year. Gibraltar further bolsters its proffered reason with evidence that it laid off four other employees in November 2008 for “lack of work.” One of those employees, Sally Schneider, was in the “clerical” department, the same department as Madry. The other three employees were production line employees. Thus, Gibraltar contends that Madry would have been laid off regardless of her FMLA leave because it made a legitimate business decision to cut costs in the face of decreased sales. Pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 2614(a)(3)(B), no employee is entitled to “any right, benefit, or position of employment other than . . . [that] to which the employee would have been entitled had the employee not taken the leave.” More specifically, “[a]n employee returning from FMLA leave is not entitled to restoration unless he would have continued to be employed if he had not taken FMLA leave.” Grace, 521 F.3d at 669 (quoting Hoge, 384 F.3d at 245). Here, Gibraltar has offered a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for failing to restore the employment of Madry, an at-will employee, that indicates that her employment would not have continued even if she had not taken FMLA leave. Hoge, 384 F.3d at 245 (“an employer need not restore an employee who would have lost his job or been laid off even if he had not taken FMLA leave”). Thus, Gibraltar has met its burden to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for failing to restore Madry’s employment. -5- No. 12-1286 Madry v. Gibraltar Nat’l Corp.