Opinion ID: 615269
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Twigg's FMLA Leaves

Text: HBC distributes and makes available to all of its employees a short FMLA brochure. This brochure was mailed to every employee's home in August 2006. In addition, employees could get a copy of the brochure from Human Resources (HR) personnel, in the medical department, or on the company intranet. The brochure provides an overview of the FMLA and explains how employees may request family leave. The brochure also contains a section entitled Employee Responsibilities, which states, in pertinent part, Until you receive formal notification that your family leave has been approved, you must properly report your absence to your department every day. Proper reporting is defined as reporting prior to the beginning of your shift. (Aple. Supp.App. at 85 (emphasis added).) When Twigg participated in new-employee orientation in 1996, she was provided with a copy of HBC's attendance policy and Rules of Conduct. Rule 1 of HBC's Rules for Personal Conduct states that it is a violation of company policy for an employee to be [a]bsen[t] for three consecutive working days without proper notification. ( Id. at 77.) The presumptive discipline for a first-time violator of this rule is termination.
In 2004, Twigg applied for FMLA leave so that she could have elective cosmetic surgery. HBC approved her for six weeks of FMLA leave. When Twigg returned after her leave, she did not experience any retaliation or hear anybody say anything critical about the fact that she took FMLA leave.
On February 19, 2008, Twigg submitted a written request for FMLA leave to HBC's HR department. She asked for leave beginning the next day, February 20, 2008, and continuing through April 17, 2008. The reason listed for the leave was [s]urgery on Feb 20th, [p]er Dr. possible 6-8 wk required recovery. (Aple. Supp. App. at 152.) Twigg claims that at some point before her surgery, both Ealey and Sade approved her absence from work until April 18, 2008. She also claims that Ealey approved the following out-of-office auto reply message that Twigg posted on her e-mail account during her absence: I will be out of the office until approximately April 18, 2008. (Aplt.App. at 187.) Along with her FMLA request, Twigg submitted a Certification of Health Care Provider as required by HBC policy. ( Id. at 146-47.) This form was filled out and signed by Dr. Joseph Lickteig. Dr. Lickteig identified Twigg's diagnosis as bunion right foot and stated that the probable duration of the condition was three months. ( Id. at 146.) In response to Question 7 on the form, which asked the doctor to describe the medical facts supporting the existence of a serious health condition, Dr. Lickteig wrote, Surgery to correct bunion with post-op recovery necessary i.e. non-wt. bearing etc. ( Id. ) Question 12(a) on the form asked, If medical leave is required for the employee's absence from work because of the employee's own condition[,] ... is the employee unable to perform work of any kind? ( Id. at 147.) Dr. Lickteig responded, Can preform [sic] only non-wt. bearing work. ( Id. ) A follow-up question, Question 12(b), inquired, If able to perform some work, is the employee unable to perform any one or more of the essential functions of the employee's job? If yes, please list the essential functions the employee is unable to perform. ( Id. ) Dr. Lickteig did not answer this question.