FMLA approval for seemingly non-FMLA issue

onvoy

We have an employee who has been certified and approved for intermittent FMLA for the caring of his terminally ill wife.

He only uses the FMLA when his wife has had a bad day due to treatment of her cancer. He is not using this weekly.

Question: he is now requesting FMLA and has told my assistant as well as his supervisor that he needs the time off to pick his wife up from the airport.

This is a dilemma for me. On one hand I want to approve the leave because I know his wife is terminal. On the other hand, the reason he needs the time off doesn't appear (to me) that it would qualify for caretaking.

He is on 2nd shift and I do not know the flight time home.

Any suggestions??

Thanks!

Rockie

Picking someone up from the airport is not an FMLA covered event. Is it because she is too ill to drive or is there a reason that might be connected to her illness? If it is, this is a "gray" area and it is up to you how liberal you want to be in interpretation of FMLA. Keep in mind, however, once you open the floodgate of exceptions, there may be no end. Unfortunately, sometimes in our quest to be a good, compassionate person who wants to help, we end up getting "bit" by those who use this to THEIR advantage.

Gillian

Open the floodgates - this is a someone in a terminal condition. Ask the ones who references the use of FMLA for this purpose - is your wife dying? and if she is, extend the leave there as well. I am not so sure that it isn't qualifying. Who else is going to pick her up at the airport and isn't that part of the care?

Balloonman

Well if this person has been good and not abused it, just give him the okay. Based it on she is not able to drive herself, and don't sweat it. I don't know that you can go wrong when you have a terminal issue. I would also remember that if someone throws it in your face that you allowed it for so and so. First they may not know, second, just state, based on the situation of the treatment and the fact that she was believe to be terminal with the cancer, and the condition that the chemo left her in, we made the decision to allow this.
However your wife, having a bunion removed is not the same event.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman