Must an employer grant leave to an employee who is sick or who is caring for a family member that is sick?
Category: Human Resource Policies and Pandemic Planning Workplace Questions
Sub-Category: Leave/Leave Policies
Answer:
An employee who is sick or whose family members are sick may be entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) under certain circumstances. The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a designated 12-month leave year for specified family and medical reasons which may include the flu where complications arise. Employees on FMLA leave are entitled to the continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same conditions as coverage would have been provided if the employee had been continuously employed during the leave period.
Workers who are ill with pandemic influenza or have a family member with influenza are urged to stay home to minimize the spread of the pandemic. Employers are encouraged to support these and other community mitigation strategies and should consider flexible leave policies for their employees. (See Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation.)
The U. S. Department of Labor and other federal agencies are currently reviewing federal statutes and regulations that may affect employers and employees during the unique circumstance where the U.S. experiences a severe influenza pandemic. Decisions have not yet been made as to whether any changes are needed. Answers to questions such as this one are based on current laws and regulations.
Note: As an overall matter, employers should be guided in their relationship with their employees not only by federal employment law, but by their own employee handbooks, manuals, and contracts (including bargaining agreements), and by any applicable state or local laws.
Not all of the employment laws referenced apply to all employers or all employees, particularly state and local government agencies. For information on whether a particular employer or employee is covered by a law, please use the links provided for more detailed information. This information is not intended for federal agencies or federal employees -- they should contact the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for guidance.
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Last Updated: 01/24/2008
