By Charlie Goetsch on Posted in Family Medical Leave Act After a week long trial, a federal court jury in Hartford, Connecticut, has issued a verdict finding that Metro North Commuter Railroad violated the Family Medical Leave Act when it denied its employee his right to take FMLA absences protected from discipline. The worker is a Gulf War veteran with combat related PTSD who… Continue Reading
By Charlie Goetsch on Posted in Family Medical Leave Act,Rail Labor On January 16, 2009, several changes to the FMLA regulations will go into effect. The biggest change from a worker point of view concerns how and when employee give notice of taking FMLA leave. Before, employees had up to two days after an absence to notify employers they actually were taking FMLA leave. Now–absent… Continue Reading
By Charlie Goetsch on Posted in Family Medical Leave Act,Rail LaborYou wouldn’t know it by how railroads treat it, but the FMLA is a remedial statute that must be broadly construed to effectuate its humanitarian purpose. And the purpose of the FMLA is "to entitle employees to take reasonable leave for medical reasons," and to help working men and women "balance the demands of the… Continue Reading
