FMLA

[cecilsgirl]

I was just curious, do you feel that your co-workers abuse either "sick" bennifits, or FMLA? Where I work there is a real problem with this, Also, Do you feel your place of work does enough ( or anything) to reward good attendence?

[katkonk, BSN, RN]

we have someone that when one FMLA runs out he gets another one for something else. around here all you need is a signed note by doctor.

hmmmm....There are only 12 weeks of FMLA allowed per year - period. Even if there are multiple reasons. At the end of all those hours of FMLA, then you are out of FMLA, no matter what. It is the law. It cannot just be renewed with another doctor's excuse. HR/management should be tracking that and know whether he has used his hours. However, some people are very good at figuring out just how much FMLA they can use, before they have to pop back into work. And FMLA must only be for certain things that are covered by the law. Not everything is eligible.

[llg, PhD, RN]

It's abused where I work. One nurse calls in for migraines so often, she might as well be a part-time worker. I know migraines are miserable and can be debilitating... but if you're missing 3 full days of work a week (out of a 5 day workweek), it seems like you do not need to be a full-time worker, leaving your other nurses out to dry constantly. But I agree with the person who said there is a reward for good attendance, having a job. :) I really think if you abuse it, it will catch up with you eventually.

I also have a co-worker who uses it so much (and has for several years now) that I wish she would just quit or go part time. We can't replace her as long as she is technically in her position, but she's only there half the time. We need someone to actully do the job.

I realize she has some actual health problems -- but she's also a drama queen who needs lots of time off every time something negative happens in her life. (She needed 2 days off when a pet died.) Meanwhile, we have work that is not getting done. I wish she would at least switch to part time employment so that we could hire a part time replacement.

It's been going on for about 5 years now -- and the rest of the department is getting pretty sick of it.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

we have someone that when one FMLA runs out he gets another one for something else. around here all you need is a signed note by doctor.

hmmmm....There are only 12 weeks of FMLA allowed per year - period. Even if there are multiple reasons. At the end of all those hours of FMLA, then you are out of FMLA, no matter what. It is the law. It cannot just be renewed with another doctor's excuse. HR/management should be tracking that and know whether he has used his hours. However, some people are very good at figuring out just how much FMLA they can use, before they have to pop back into work. And FMLA must only be for certain things that are covered by the law. Not everything is eligible.

Really?

I knew a CNA once that had it year round for blood pressure issues. It was never ending. Or maybe we just thought she did.

[AlsgalRN]

FMLA is limited to twelve weeks in a rolling one year period. I was diagnosed with breast cancer on the same day that my husband was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I took 2 weeks off for my surgery, one and a half days off for each round of chemo and no time off for my radiation. My FMLA ended the day that my radiation treatment ended. Later that year, I needed FMLA as my husband's health began to decline. I was approved for 12 weeks of FMLA, MINUS the hours I had taken in the last year for my own FMLA.

Also, no, you cannot use FMLA for "anything". During my treatments, I caught a stomach flu bug. It was illness unrelated to my chemo. My absence counted as "an occurance". When I had to go to the ED with complications from the chemo, that was counted as FMLA.

Yes, you can have FMLA for a long time. My employer has a company that manages FMLA. I am required to reapply every 6 months. I will continue to reapply every 6 months as long as my husband lives. Every day that I take off is counted against my FMLA allowance x1 year.

My coworkers have been very supportive. They know that each FMLA day is precious to me and that I will not abuse. I NEED this job to pay our bills and to provide our health insurance. I NEED our health insurance!

Galpalblue

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

FMLA is limited to twelve weeks in a rolling one year period. I was diagnosed with breast cancer on the same day that my husband was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I took 2 weeks off for my surgery, one and a half days off for each round of chemo and no time off for my radiation. My FMLA ended the day that my radiation treatment ended. Later that year, I needed FMLA as my husband's health began to decline. I was approved for 12 weeks of FMLA, MINUS the hours I had taken in the last year for my own FMLA.

Also, no, you cannot use FMLA for "anything". During my treatments, I caught a stomach flu bug. It was illness unrelated to my chemo. My absence counted as "an occurance". When I had to go to the ED with complications from the chemo, that was counted as FMLA.

Yes, you can have FMLA for a long time. My employer has a company that manages FMLA. I am required to reapply every 6 months. I will continue to reapply every 6 months as long as my husband lives. Every day that I take off is counted against my FMLA allowance x1 year.

My coworkers have been very supportive. They know that each FMLA day is precious to me and that I will not abuse. I NEED this job to pay our bills and to provide our health insurance. I NEED our health insurance!

Galpalblue

So, in theory, you get the 12 weeks every year. Guess thats what the person I knew did. She called off about four or five times a month, but it came and went in spurts. One month there'd be like 8 days, next month one.

Oh, just a little side note in case this is coming off as judgmental: This girl spoke openly about how she'd use FMLA for other things. If she wanted to go visit her friend who lived in Washington DC and didn't have the right days off, she'd call off. Thats the specific example I remember her telling me about anyway.

[fungez]

I had a coworker who always seemed to need surgery right before Thanksgiving and would off 'til after New Years. One year it was her gallbladder. The next, a hysterectomy. The year after, her thyroid out (no, she did not have cancer.) We used to joke she have to work Christmas one of these years because she was running out of body parts.

[TDCHIM]

AlsgalRN, that was an excellent summation of FMLA. I would just like to add that different employers administrate the twelve cumulative weeks differently - some seem to go by calendar year, while others go by rolling year.

I find myself frustrated when people abuse FMLA, mostly because they make those who actually need it look bad and make life harder for their coworkers. However, it seems as though a lot of the time when FMLA is abused, the employer isn't being as careful about making sure the events claimed are appropriate for use under the law and adequately documented. There is no way someone should be able to claim FMLA time for an illness or injury, use that time for a trip to wherever, come back and brag about it to co-workers, and continue to use FMLA time without being challenged for documentation and, er, handed her hat in a million subtle ways!

I'd also like to add one to the employers-are-bringing-on-their-own-problems pile: Even when a more reasonable absence policy exists, it doesn't do much good if every time you need to use a day you're given the third degree about why and/or heavily pressured to come in to work anyway! I'm not talking about people who use a sick day a week, mind you, but the people who are consistently there and work hard while they are.

If I get sick, I'm going to keep working as long as I can because I hate that feeling of dread you get while off sick, imagining all the work that will be waiting for you when you get back or picturing your coworkers drowning trying to take care of everything without you. However, both my spouse and I have dealt with employers who use every type of unfair pressure to try to force you to come in while seriously ill, despite the nominal availability of "sick time." With my last employer, I was forced to use FMLA to make sure that during the three or four times a year when I had an incapacitating flare-up of my condition, I could actually take time off without having to beg and plead (unsuccessfully) to use a sick day! It was the only way I could actually manage to stay home for incredibly painful flare-ups - the management there was scared to deny the time (and you've never lived till you've had to go to work during a flare-up that makes you unable to walk to the bathroom unaided by another person).

It's just unreasonable to expect people to go work without ever needing to take unexpected time off for illness or injury, whether you supply them with a measly three days per every 365 or give them two weeks and hound them into never using it. I guess I'd rather see management take a reasonable attitude towards the use of both sick time and FMLA leave, but put the resources into making sure FMLA time is being used appropriately.

[Bella'sMyBaby]

I used FMLA twice.......for both of my pregnancies.

Was put on Bed Rest by my Doctor.

My Supervisor hauled me into her office & asked, "If your baby dies, are you coming back to work?" :eek:

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

I used FMLA twice.......for both of my pregnancies.

Was put on Bed Rest by my Doctor.

My Supervisor hauled me into her office & asked, "If your baby dies, are you coming back to work?" :eek:

Holy cow! Can you say "insensitive jerk"? I had to use FMLA 3 times in a 6 month period. Two of those times were for 4-6 week periods at a crack. I had breakdown at work and was hospitalized for a week, after which I could not work for another 3 weeks because we couldn't get my moods under control. I finally went back to work and my supervisor did everything she could (non-verbally) to let me know she was not amused. THen my DH was hospitalized for pericarditis and spent a week in CCU. When he came out he was very weak. I have a profoundly mentally handicapped son. DH could not manage him, couldn't bathe or dress him, or get him on the school bus. THere was no one else to help, so I had to do it. My supervisor was really ticked off when I asked to come in about 1/2hr late every morning for about 2 weeks while my DH recovered.

Two2 weeks later I had another breakdown. This time I was hospitialized for 7 weeks. My supervisor was just disgusted with me. She's of the "rub some dirt in it and get back in the game" school of thought (and she's not a nurse.) After that I was so debilitated with depression, I just never went back. I was on LTD for a year.

My experience with FMLA was very good. It allowed me to keep my benefits while I was seeking treatment. But I also learned that sometimes managers can be very snarky about it. My supervisor treated me like an orphan step-child.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

fmla is limited to twelve weeks in a rolling one year period. i was diagnosed with breast cancer on the same day that my husband was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (als). i took 2 weeks off for my surgery, one and a half days off for each round of chemo and no time off for my radiation. my fmla ended the day that my radiation treatment ended. later that year, i needed fmla as my husband's health began to decline. i was approved for 12 weeks of fmla, minus the hours i had taken in the last year for my own fmla.

also, no, you cannot use fmla for "anything". during my treatments, i caught a stomach flu bug. it was illness unrelated to my chemo. my absence counted as "an occurance". when i had to go to the ed with complications from the chemo, that was counted as fmla.

yes, you can have fmla for a long time. my employer has a company that manages fmla. i am required to reapply every 6 months. i will continue to reapply every 6 months as long as my husband lives. every day that i take off is counted against my fmla allowance x1 year.

my coworkers have been very supportive. they know that each fmla day is precious to me and that i will not abuse. i need this job to pay our bills and to provide our health insurance. i need our health insurance!

galpalblue

i'm so sorry for your problems. this is the reason we have fmla -- for people like you and your husband. yes, it's abused. but the problem, i think, is the abusers, not the law. there are people who use it appropriately. i almost lost my job when i had cervical cancer . . . i had to find my own coverage every time i had to take off to see the doctor, have surgery, etc. that was before fmla.

[vivicaq]

Could the abuse be from both ends? Some times the body is willing but the mind is distorted. You wanna work but when you get there you are drained we deal with lives and not machines.

[eriksoln, BSN, RN]

Hmmm, funny thing.

I've been sick for the second time this week tonight, left work early because of it. First time occurred on my natural days off so it was of no consequence. I was very lucky the supervisor on duty was understanding that when I started getting sick, I was not comfortable with being at work. Very lucky.

Guess I just wanted to point that out, with the supervisor helping me out. I'm real big into the "anti-establishment" attitude sometimes and forget when the higher ups are good to me.