Many Pennsylvania residents — especially those who work for the government or a large corporation — benefit from the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). However, not all employers want to give the benefits that this federal law affords. Some employers even retaliate against employees who exercise their rights under the FMLA to take unpaid time off work to recuperate from their illnesses.
Did something like this happen to you?
A father with a new baby in the family
Most employers readily honor a mother’s right to maternity leave, but they’re not always so flexible with fathers. Nevertheless, those who qualify under the FMLA have the right to take unpaid leave to welcome a new child into the family, whether it’s an adoption or normal birth.
A mother who needs to care for an ill relative
Imagine you’re a mother and your husband or child becomes gravely ill and you need to take time off to care for them. If you qualify under the FMLA, you have a right to take time off. If your employer refuses and retaliates against you for doing so, you probably have a claim for damages.
An office worker suffering from a psychological disorder
When someone contracts cancer, they gain everyone’s sympathy because the physical effects are so visible. A psychological disorder can be just as detrimental to one’s ability to work, but it happens in a less visible way, on an emotional and mental level. Workers who qualify under the FMLA can take time off for psychological illnesses and employers who retaliate against them for doing so will be in violation of the law.
Were you denied FMLA benefits or retaliated against for exercising your FMLA rights?
Workers who have been denied their FMLA rights or retaliated against for exercising them may want to speak with a Pennsylvania employment law attorney to evaluate their situations immediately.