Life Can Be Unpredictable PRESERVING THE BALANCE OF WORK AND FAMILY LIFE
Workers shouldn’t have to choose between the job they need and the family members they love. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was created to allow employees to take reasonable unpaid leave for a particular family or medical reason so they can maintain a work/life balance. WHAT DOES IT PROVIDE? The FMLA provides eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave a year with the requirement of group health benefits to be maintained during the leave as if employees were continuing to work. They are also entitled to resume their same or equivalent job at the end of their FMLA leave. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR FMLA? FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and
secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees. Employees can be eligible for FMLA if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, worked at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location that employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. WHEN CAN I USE FMLA LEAVE? An eligible employee can be granted up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12-month period for the following reason(s):
(child, spouse, or parent, but does not include parent in-laws) To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work due to a serious health condition For qualifying exigencies arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, child, or parent is on covered active duty or call to covered active- duty status as a member of the National Guard, Reserves, or Regular Armed Forces
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The FMLA exists so employees can tend to their families without worrying about their job, allowing them to provide the best care for their loved ones. For more information regarding whether or not your company is eligible for FMLA, check out your local government agency for more details.
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Birth of and/or bonding with a newborn child
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The placement of a child for adoption or foster care with the employee To care for an immediate family member with a serious condition
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WE CAN HELP! Affected by Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune?
Did you or a loved one reside or serve on active duty at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between 1953 and 1987? If so, you may be entitled to recover monetary damages for harm from exposure to contaminated water. Between 1953 and 1987, the water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated with toxic chemicals such as perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, benzene, and more. The contaminated water at Camp Lejeune contained many toxic chemicals linked to different types of cancer including lung, brain, leukemia, thyroid, esophageal, breast, bladder, liver, and kidney cancers. In addition to this, there have been other illnesses linked to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune including cardiac
defects, neurobehavioral disorders, Parkinson’s disease, nephrotoxicity, and many more. Birth defects, miscarriages, and childhood cancers have also been linked to this toxic water. In 1985, the maximum PCE level in Lejeune’s water was 215 parts per billion; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deems anything over five parts per billion to be unsafe for consumption or use. Even with this information, it’s been difficult for those affected to get the compensation they deserved in the past. There was a North Carolina law, referred to as the statute of repose that gave plaintiffs only 10 years to bring a claim for disease, which prevented many veterans from bringing civil action to
Camp Lejeune. Additionally, the VA rejected a number of claims that stemmed from this issue. Now, there’s renewed hope — the Camp Lejeune Justice Act will help those affected pursue justice and will override the statute of repose. This enables those exposed to water contamination at the base for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, to file personal injury and wrongful death claims in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. If you or a loved one were potentially exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987, give us a call today.
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