A parent in Georgia was wrongfully fired from his job for taking time off work to care for his newborn baby and wife, federal officials say.
The employee’s firing violated family and medical leave law, the US Department of Labor said in a news release. As a result, the employer, US Logistics Solutions Inc., was ordered to pay the former employee more than $67,000.
“Employers cannot deprive an employee who is eligible for family and medical leave of their legal rights and force them to make the difficult choice between keeping their job and taking care of themselves or their family,” said the director of district’s wage and hour division, Steven Salazar, in a statement. .
What happened?
A federal investigation found that US Logistics Solutions Inc. denied parental leave to a dock supervisor at a distribution center in Covington, Georgia, despite knowing about the birth of the child’s child. employee.
The company then summoned the employee to a meeting 42 days after the child’s birth, to discuss the “refusal to take care of his wife and allegation of pay theft”.
At the meeting, the employee was terminated.
A week later, US Logistics Solutions notified the cancellation of the employee’s family and medical leave request prior to the birth of the child, but did not notify the employee before firing him, officials said. responsible.
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What did the company violate?
Officials said the company unlawfully terminated the employee for “exercising his rights” under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
What is the Family and Medical Leave Act?
The Family and Medical Leave Act, a federal law, allows employees to take up to 12 weeks of “unpaid, job-protected” family leave for “specified family and medical reasons.”
Officials said the employee requested to use the law for parental bonding and to care for a spouse with a qualifying medical condition, which meets the law’s guidelines.
“Federal law prevents employers from retaliating against workers who choose to exercise their right to bond with a newborn,” Salazar said.
What will the employee receive?
Following the investigation, officials ordered the company to pay the former employee $67,140:
- Earnings missed after being laid off.
- Advance payment for one year.
- Unpaid earned time off.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
USA Today