FMLA for Parent

drehil

We have sisters working for our organization and their father is in the hospital awaiting a liver transplant. He has become very ill and they are both requesting FMLA. From everything I am reading they are eligible. He is a parent that is receiving inpatient care for a serious health condition, but I wanted to double check here before I approved them both for the leave.

stilldazed

I would say that you have an FMLA situation. They key is whether their support (physical, medical, social, psychological) is necessary, and I would think that very few doctors will say that a child's presence with a parent is not good (unless their relationship is destructive). Confirm that the sisters satisfy eligibility requirements (length of service & minimum workhr requirements),

By the way, the parent doesn't always have to be in the hospital. Take care that you don't get caught up in relying on the hospitalization part as a requirement.

best wishes.

Rockie

If they were smart and had their father's best interest at heart, they wouldn't both take FMLA at the same time. One should exhaust their allotment of 12 weeks and then the other could be off another 12 weeks to render care. If they both take it at the same time, there will only be 12 weeks of care. (Unless they are requesting intermittent leave at the same time and they trade off times).

System

If the father's illness is serious enough that the father may not have more than 12 weeks left (and since he's waiting for a liver transplant, that could very well be the case), the children may want to make sure they get to spend as much time with him as possible while they can.