Cwa Members This Is A Very Important Issue

[4merresrat]

Your point is legitimate and duly noted. As with so many things in life, the abusers foul it up for everyone else. While "FMLA crackdown" with no doubt catch or discourage some abusers, there will be people with legimate needs who will be denied. I would hate to be the person in corporate making the decisions; I would be certain to make some bad calls either way.


This subject made me think of some OJI/Disability situations that I know about.
I remember one person who was out on OJI. The insurance company conducted surveilance and caught him, on video, water skiiing. I also know of situations where people with seemingly legitimate (then again what do I know, I'm not an MD) OJIs who had to retuen to work.

I've got a good one too... One girl at MCO said she had carpel tunnel so severely that she couldn't hold ANYTHING, they wanted her to hold a clipboard at the counter and she said she could not, it was to heavy. She was a MAJOR FMLA abuser and was also put under surveilance while weed wacker her yard. Needless to say she is no longer employeed. However, you have to give her credit for nerve.. she fought the firing tooth and nail. Last I heard she was denied and did not get her job back.........................

 

[diogenes]

When the company makes a solid, by the book case, I have yet to see a termination overturned.

 

[PITbull]

Questions Questions

I'm trying to figure this one out. In a non union world I know of NO ONE who has EVER taken this "benefit" unless they were NOT the primary breadwinner.

If you are part time why would you need FMLA?

Also if you are "Impoverished" as you claim then how could you even entertain the FMLA option for any length of time?

I hear all of this talk of "Struggle", WHERE? Spoke with a UA G/A who made $70,000 last year. He made me laugh when he told me "Hey I'm overpaid and lovin' it! I know it's coming to an end. But hey My kids are grown and the house is paid and I don't work to hard so I'll stay"

As for the Express folks making $13.05/Hr. do you realize that if you as a couple work full time earning that hourly rate with no OT, you are in the top 25% of gross family incomes Nationwide? According to certain Democrat politicians anyone making over 30K is considered "Rich"

Do you feel rich? I know i don't even earning double that.

Bob,

Obviously your assumptions above can not be correct. The catalyst for FMLA was for folks who were non-union and were not permitted to take time off (without pay) to care for a loved one without jeopardizing their job or for their own serious injury or illness. That is how and why legislation came about. You must be living a shallow existence if you never ran across someone needing such a benefit.

Unionized received this as a "fall-out" of the law. And flight crews were not included because of the yearly hour restraints. We as USA AFA negotiated language in 2000 called PCL Personal Care Leave. This leave falls under the umbrella of FMLA and there fore we qualify. However, mangment applies the FMLA to every single leave, whether its OIJ, Medical, over 14 days sick, personal, maternity...they want you to hurry up and use up the benefit, so if in the course of the month you have another type of illness, you have no "job protection". They CAN terminate you for your illness at that point depending on the circumstances.

Folks should never sign the FMLA paper work UNLESS you are specifically by wording requesting and FMLA or PCL. Medical leave documentation IS DIFFERENTPAPERWORK. Mangement will "sneak" the FMLA paper work along iwith it just to get your signature on them so you can't deny you idn't request it . Throw these paper in the trash when you get them. You only need to fill out medical leave of absence documentation along with your physician. Mangement will try to convince you to fill out FMLA also...DON'T SIGN THEM.

If at any time an employee feels they are being discriminated against for age or disibility for a chronic illness...Visit an attorney or local gov. office and fill out and file EEOC and ADA claim.

 

[4merresrat]

Bob,

Obviously your assumptions above can not be correct. The catalyst for FMLA was for folks who were non-union and were not permitted to take time off (without pay) to care for a loved one without jeopardizing their job or for their own serious injury or illness. That is how and why legislation came about. You must be living a shallow existence if you never ran across someone needing such a benefit.

Unionized received this as a "fall-out" of the law. And flight crews were not included because of the yearly hour restraints. We as USA AFA negotiated language in 2000 called PCL Personal Care Leave. This leave falls under the umbrella of FMLA and there fore we qualify. However, mangment applies the FMLA to every single leave, whether its OIJ, Medical, over 14 days sick, personal, maternity...they want you to hurry up and use up the benefit, so if in the course of the month you have another type of illness, you have no "job protection". They CAN terminate you for your illness at that point depending on the circumstances.

Folks should never sign the FMLA paper work UNLESS you are specifically by wording requesting and FMLA or PCL. Medical leave documentation IS DIFFERENTPAPERWORK. Mangement will "sneak" the FMLA paper work along iwith it just to get your signature on them so you can't deny you idn't request it . Throw these paper in the trash when you get them. You only need to fill out medical leave of absence documentation along with your physician. Mangement will try to convince you to fill out FMLA also...DON'T SIGN THEM.

If at any time an employee feels they are being discriminated against for age or disibility for a chronic illness...Visit an attorney or local gov. office and fill out and file EEOC and ADA claim.

Pit Bul, Why must you try and demean fellow posters. Saying Piney Bob "must lead a shallow existance" if he doesn't know anyone who needs FMLA etc. That is JUST the point we have been making. Some people DO need it-but unfortunately it has been abused by your co-workers so badly that something had to be done. It has been or HAD been a way to write your own ticket to time off anytime one wanted. In reservations it use to be called write your own VTO (voluntary time off). No repercusions, no questions, just get out of your seat and go home. Just in time to: cook dinner for the family, or catch your sons baseball game, or catch your favorite TV show! I would love to see some numbers as to the % employees who had it. In my office well over 1/2 the office had it. These were healhy people who seemed to lead full lives EXCEPT when it was time to be at work. Their "major" illness never seemed to interfere with their lives when it was time to leave, they never had to cancel their trips or vacations. In fact, their illness seemed only to crop up during their schedule shift times. Interesting.

 

[deltawatch]

It's a shame that FMLA is being abused. I had hoped it would be available to me if or when my parent’s health declines and they have to become my dependent. I don’t blame the company for trying to eliminate abuse. If they can prove it they should fire the individual. But don’t penalize dependable hard working customer service (ATO) agents by demoting them to part-time as a solution. Go after the guilty. It's easier for lazy mgt to just turn full-time lines into part-time split shifts disqualify us from FMLA benefits. But that’s not the solution. There are those with a real need for FMLA. That’s why it’s the law.