Atlanta FMLA Lawyer

Some employers treat employees like robots who perform their duties day in and day out and are not expected to take time off for family matters. If you are denied time off because you are having a baby, you need a serious operation that requires recuperation, or your spouse, child, or parent is stricken with a health condition that requires your care, you are probably entitled to a break from work under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

If your employer denies your request for family leave or refuses to hire you back after you take one, call the Feldman Legal Group to speak with an employment attorney today. Not everyone is eligible for this coverage, and you should understand why you are or are not eligible and how an Atlanta FMLA lawyer can help you if you are.

What Is the Family and Medical Leave Act?

The FMLA is a federal law that permits eligible employees working for covered employers to take unpaid leave for family and medical reasons. Their jobs are held for their return, and their group health insurance continues uninterrupted. Employees are entitled to 12 workweeks of leave per year for:

• Caring for a newborn within one year of birth
• Caring for a child the employee has accepted as a foster or adopted child within one year of the child’s placement
• Caring for a spouse, child, or parent with a health condition that requires the employee’s help
• Respite for an employee who is unable to perform their job due to health issues
• A crisis concerning the employee’s spouse, child, or parent arising out of that relative’s active-duty service in the military
• Leave increases to 26 work weeks to care for a military member who is seriously ill or injured and is the employee’s spouse, child, or next of kin

The FMLA is meant to balance all employees’ work and personal lives because, as humans, problems will arise.

FMLA-Covered Organizations

The Family and Medical Leave Act covers employees working for private companies with at least 50 employees within 75 miles of the job site, government agencies, and elementary and secondary schools, both public and private. Coverage is not immediate. Employees must work at least 12 months for the employer and at least 1,250 hours in that 12-month period to qualify. Mitchell Feldman and the attorneys at Feldman Legal Group are experienced FMLA lawyers who can guide clients filing for leave or take employers who deny coverage to court.

What an FMLA Attorney Does

Federal and state laws that address employment issues are often confusing to employees who are constricted by the power an employer has over them. If an employer denies a request for family leave, or the employee does not have a job to return to, a skilled attorney should become involved. Even without pushback from an employer, an Atlanta FMLA attorney could help employees submit written requests for leave.

If employers retaliate out of anger because a leave is requested, an attorney can respond directly through negotiations or by taking the issue to court. Retaliation can include wrongful termination, harassment, or discrimination. Our attorneys are comfortable in federal and state courts because we know our mission is important: ensuring employees’ rights are restored, including winning damages awards, when employers violate them.

An Atlanta FMLA Attorney Champions American Workers

Some employers do not respect your need to balance family life with your work life. If you need to recuperate from a serious illness or need to care for a recovering family member, you are entitled, under the Family and Medical Leave Act, to take that time. If your employer denies your rights under the FMLA, call us. We help you strike a healthy balance that allows you to thrive in your job and take care of loved ones, knowing your job will be waiting. An Atlanta FMLA lawyer with the Feldman Legal Group supports you.