Ninguna persona debería tener que elegir entre mantener su trabajo y cuidar de sí misma o de su familia. La Ley de Licencias Familiares y Médicas (FMLA) fue promulgada por esta misma razón, para promover el equilibrio entre el trabajo y la vida privada y dar a los trabajadores la capacidad de satisfacer sus demandas en el trabajo y en el hogar.
The FMLA is a federal law that entitles employees to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons. While on Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, the employee’s job is in protected status.
¿Está cubierto por la FMLA?
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles you to take leave only for these qualifying reasons:
- Tratamiento de su propia condición de salud grave;
- Embarazo, nacimiento y cuidado de un recién nacido;
- Adoptar o acoger a un niño;
- Cuidar a un miembro de la familia con una condición de salud grave; y
- Situaciones derivadas del despliegue de un familiar o del cuidado de un miembro del servicio con una lesión o enfermedad grave.
There are other requirements that you (as the employee) must meet to be eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. You must have been employed for at least 12 months and have worked at least 1,250 hours in the year prior to the start date of the intended leave. Also, you must generally comply with your employer’s policies for requesting leave and provide notice, typically 30 days in advance of when the leave is needed. However, in some circumstances where advance notice is not possible or the need for leave is unexpected, you may provide notice as soon as practicable. Your employer must then provide notice regarding your eligibility for FMLA leave and may require documentation in support of the request for leave.
La FMLA se aplica a todos los organismos públicos, a los empleadores del sector privado y a todas las escuelas primarias y secundarias públicas y privadas. Sin embargo, su empleador debe tener por lo menos 50 empleados ubicados dentro de las 75 millas de su lugar de trabajo.
Entonces, eres elegible... ¿ahora qué?
If you are eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, you may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period or up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave if you are caring for a family member with an illness or injury related to military service. The leave can be taken all at once or can be split up into shorter periods of intermittent leave. Your employer may temporarily transfer you to an alternative position to accommodate you if you take intermittent leave but must provide the same pay and benefits that you had in your prior position. When you no longer need the intermittent leave, your employer must restore you to the same or equivalent job as the one that you had prior to when the leave started.
While on Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, your employer may periodically inquire on your return to work status. Furthermore, your employer is required to continue group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if you had not taken leave, but you must also continue to pay whatever share of the premiums that you paid prior to the FMLA leave.
Cuando regrese de la licencia FMLA, su empleador debe restaurarlo a su trabajo original o a una función laboral equivalente con un pago y beneficios equivalentes.
¿Qué podría salir mal?
If you meet the requirements for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, your employer may not interfere with those rights. That means your employer cannot deny legitimate FMLA leave requests nor can they retaliate against you for exercising these protected rights. If your employer violates the mandates of the FMLA, you have two years to file a lawsuit—or three years if you can prove your employer’s conduct was willful.
Si su empleador toma alguna de las siguientes acciones adversas en su contra, entonces tiene una reclamación viable de FMLA:
- Discourages you or otherwise interferes with your right to Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave;
- Manipulates your work hours, the number of employees at the worksite, or other factors to evade employee eligibility under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA);
- Fires, demotes, suspends, or disciplines you for exercising your Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) rights; or
- Delays reinstating you to your former job or an equivalent job after your return from Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave.
Hay otros escenarios que constituirían una violación del FMLA. Si cree que su empleador ha infringido esos derechos, no dude en consultarnos. Estaremos encantados de orientarle, tanto si está en medio del proceso de la FMLA como si ha sido despedido de su puesto por haber solicitado una licencia de la FMLA. Estamos aquí para usted.
Porque tu trabajo es importante.