I wish I had a dollar bill (remember when it was a nickle?) for every time I get asked about FMLA (the Family Medical Leave Act). People with chronic illness turn to this “benefit” when illness rears it’s ugly head. And, it can be a good option depending on some variables (such as the size of your company, your sick time policy, and considerations around applying for short term disability — and others I’m probably forgetting.)
According to this article in The New York Times , proposed legislation will change the regulations – to eliminate corporate abuse! It seems that the Labor Department is getting pressure from employers to make it even more difficult to use this benefit.
Currently, you can take two days off without notice. The legislation would require you to submit a request prior — and doctor’s would have to re certify on a yearly (rather than one time) basis that the patient has a serious illness.
According to the article, employers are complaining that people are abusing the term “serious health condition” and using it for (not serious?) health conditions such as asthma or a migraine. “One of corporate America’s biggest complaints was that many workers with chronic conditions, like asthma or migraine headaches, took frequent, unscheduled leaves without notice.”
The Department of Labor doesn’t want to identify what a serious illness is – they want Congress to do it. Tell me: Can you predict you’re going to have a migraine or your asthma will act up? Beats me.
The good news about the legislation is that would expand benefits to returning Veterans. The bad news is that if you want to fight this, you’ll be delaying much needed legislation for Veterans. Oyyy! Not a good position to be in.
I’d really like to know (comment please! – I’m going to post the results on other sites)
Have you used FMLA – why and how?
Do you have a problem with requesting a medical leave of a few days from your employer?
Do you want Congress to define a serious health condition (see the FMLA site)?
Get the conversation rolling, folks.
Rosalind
Michaela says
Rosalind, I read everyday! Thank you so much.
As for the FMLA, I have MS and was working full time and last January had a major flare with hospitalization included. My boyfriend of a million years being a lawyer informed me about this act. My experience was not a good one in my prior place of employment. I had gotten the paperwork and brought it to my direct supervisor and she was extremely threatened by it. I was not able to present the paperwork in the fashion that it is designed. I then had a slew of meetings pertaining to what I had done with more superiors and they assured me that I could have time off if need be. But what I have found, if you don’t sound like you are hanging on by a thread with a cold it’s nearly impossible to get across to an employer that you are not feeling well today.
Thanks for writing! It is sooo appreciated
Michaela
Sherry says
Rosalind your site is wonderful and the changes are good changes. I have MS (you may remember me) and this fall I learned I also had a growth on my adrenal gland and one in my thyroid. I needed surgery for the growth on the adrenal gland it caused my body to make too much of a substance like adrenaline and could cause a heart attack. One in a million people have this kind of growth. Then three weeks later I had the left side of my thyroid surgical removed and it was cancer so five days later the right side was surgical removed and it had cancer also. I needed support from my children and they used the FMLA to be at the hospital all three times. I could have gone through the surgeries alone but I am so glad I did not have too.
I do not want congress to define a serious health condition. Even people who know what MS is and understand how it can effect people with MS still make the statement but you don’t look sick you look good. How you feel and how you look are not the same. It is common for people to think if you look good you feel good and if you look bad you must feel bad. Other illnesses can be just as hard for an employer to see the effects and to understand the need for time off. We need to change how illness is perceived.
Sara says
I use FMLA to get a day off work to get my Remicade treament for AS and ulcerative colitis. Without FMLA, my employer would rarely approve my request for days off. Even though I told her why I was taking the time off, she did nothing to inform me of the option to use FMLA. I had to figure it out for myself with the help of my doctor. My workplace currently makes me get recertification for FMLA yearly although conditions and treatment do not change.
I do not want Congress to define a serious health condition.
Rosalind says
Michaela
Glad you like this. What makes you read it? It’s helpful to know so I can keep doing it! I’m curious about your experience. Do you know what threatened your supervisor? I think the best way to communicate is stick to the concrete. You might look at my Guidebook series – on “Talking about chronic illness”. What do you think you could say /do differently n the future? Rosalind
Rosalind says
Hi Sherry –
Yes I do remember you. I’m glad you like the changes – but this is a new site for me. The cicoach.com site is still up – as is the KeepWorkingGirlfriend site.
Wow – it sounds like you’ve been through a LOT! And that you have wonderful support from your children. Of course you wouldn’t want to have gone through this alone .
Yes – we need to change how MS and all invisible disease is perceived. Have you found that your employer just doesn’t get it?
Rosalind
Rosalind says
Hey Sara, Do you resent that your employer wasn’t more forthcoming about FMLA? I could understand if you do – It’s great that your doctor knew about this option, though. I’m curious, does your employer know what the remicade treatment does for your health? Is there a way to make it clear to her that because of this, you’re able to deliver what you do? What is your relationship with her?
Rosalinsd
Sherry says
Hi Rosalind,
I am a Coach, certified from New Ventures West in San Francisco so I am self-employed. Most people just don’t get it. We can deliver, as you asked Sara, maybe in a different way than before we were living with an invisible disease or illness, yet often that is not understood. I am grateful for the wonderful friends and family I have in my life, they are very supportive, yet they don’t really understand when I am not up to 100%. Having the ability to communicate what happens to me without seeming like I want them to feel sorry or bad for me is often a challenge. When you don’t feel well and your mind is on vacation the words often don’t fit the message you want to give. I hear this with other people I know with MS. I know when I was working my employer was good to her staff and encouraged us to take care of ourselves. I worked for a hospice and the working environment was great. I know my experience was different than many places of employment.
Rosalind says
Sherry – I think that communicating what’s going on with us so we elicit the response we want from others is one of the greatest challenges anyone faces -healthy or not. Bad health means we’re trying to do it that much more often. .. and communicating issues that others have no experience with. We need FMLA, short term disabiity and good health benefits. But more importantly, people who live with chronic issues need support – and coaching is a great one – to develop the competencies they need to be as successful in their lives as possible. I hope your health continues to improve – Are you coaching these days? Rosalind
Sherry says
Rosalind,
I agree FMLA is a must for everyone. I had no idea I would be facing MS, Cancer and serious adrenal gland issues. My physical ability, length of time I can function, has changed but my knowledge is all there and I work smarter. Coaching is a wonderful way to help people develop competencies and change/improve their lives, and I have witnessed this happen. As companies/ business and government representatives gather information on health care and wellness programs and supporting people who live with chronic illness I believe we can share coaching and promote it as a great tool to help both employees and employers. You are on the front lines and I admire your work. Your opening this dialogue here is a way to advance the idea, thank you. The way some companies and unions are changing who provides health care insurance is a huge change in the stability of having health care from large employers. We all need health care, good, affordable, available health care. I realize the cost of health insurance is a hugh drain to many companies, no one thought we would be in the situation of high health care costs and high insurance premiums. I am building my practice now, for several months I was unable to work and coach. Sherry
PennasiaNormalization says
Migraine is an illness in the part of head, but not all of headache is real migraine. According to my 14 years experience, migraine is affected by some causes, as follows:
– disorder of elasticity level
– disorder of density level
– irregularity of muscle position
– abnormal sensitivity of nerve
– unnatural blood flow
So, all of them can be normalized by rearrangement. This rearrangement helps the natural processes in our body. As we know that our body has extraordinary ability in carrying and processing burning residue and the other processes from the whole body. These processes takes place automatically and advantage our body although they are very complicated, but very amazing.
I feel sorry for your complaint of migraine and hopefully it will be better soon.
My book “AVOID ADDICTION TO MEDICINE” had many ways and advices to protect from these suffer. We hope you can enjoy this book.
My Regards,
PennasiaNormalization (dot com)
Emma Jones says
I must say great article and well thought of as some migraine articles are the same but this was a good solid read!
Rosalind Joffe aka cicoach.com says
So glad you liked this. You might have found me on a migraine blog carnival but I work and write for people who live with any chronic illness or condition. Please keep returning for more!
deep tissue massage techniques says
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