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First, I apologize for disappearing on you for the past two-plus weeks. You were correct if you guessed it was because of my cancer journey.
My problems started with a plummeting hemoglobin, resulting in extreme fatigue. I didn’t even have enough energy to work on my blog. Thankfully, I received two units of blood, and my hemoglobin has now improved significantly. Once again, I’m so very grateful to all of you blood donors out there!
Next, I developed a pleural effusion (excessive fluid around my lung). This led to significant shortness of breath and even less energy to work on my blog. I ended up needing a thoracentesis where they drained 1800 cc of fluid from my left lung. (That’s nearly the amount of a 2-liter soda bottle!)
A dear friend was with me during my blood transfusions, and my daughter took time off from work to be with me during and after the thoracentesis. I can’t imagine how lonely and scary some of these cancer treatments would be if I had nobody to be with me.
That leads me to today’s topic. I want to be sure all of you are aware of the FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act). This law could affect you, your co-workers, or your residents’ family members.
What is FMLA?
Years ago, I remember several sad situations where a family member couldn’t be with one of our seriously ill or dying residents for fear of losing their job. The FMLA came about in response to these and other work/life balance concerns.
Signed into law in 1993, the FMLA provides unpaid leave for specific family and medical events while providing job protection. These include:
- birth of a baby
- adoption
- need to help care for a seriously ill family member
- serious personal health problem
How do I qualify for FMLA?
Be aware that several specific regulations cover eligibility for FMLA. For example, an employee must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months. Also, the employer must have at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius. Therefore, it’s important to talk with your HR department to be sure you follow all the rules and preserve your rights.
How long does FMLA last?
FMLA provides up to 12 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave per year. However, the 12 weeks don’t always need to be taken at one time. My daughter has taken a few shorter periods of FMLA to help me when I’ve gone through particularly difficult situations with my cancer treatments.
Again, thank you for your patience during this challenging time. My posts might be spotty over the next month or so while I work to get my cancer symptoms under control. In the meantime, I hope you’ll come back and catch up on articles you haven’t had an opportunity to read in the past.
