Return from Maternity
hrquestions
2 Posts
I've recently been asked to respond to the following scenario and need some advice...
An EE went out on maternity leave and returned 8 weeks later only to find that her supervisory position was no longer available. The organization agreed to let the EE work in a "float" capacity until another position became available, paying her what she was making prior to going on maternity leave. A couple of weeks went by and an opening came up within the organization that she was told to apply for. When she went to the interview she was told that since it wasn't a supervisory position, she would have to take $1.00/hr pay cut. Would she still be entitled to her same rate of pay or would she have to take the pay cut if she took the new position?
An EE went out on maternity leave and returned 8 weeks later only to find that her supervisory position was no longer available. The organization agreed to let the EE work in a "float" capacity until another position became available, paying her what she was making prior to going on maternity leave. A couple of weeks went by and an opening came up within the organization that she was told to apply for. When she went to the interview she was told that since it wasn't a supervisory position, she would have to take $1.00/hr pay cut. Would she still be entitled to her same rate of pay or would she have to take the pay cut if she took the new position?
Comments
Welcome to the forum.
Your question addresses one of the three basic guarantees of the FMLA.
When you return from leave, you must be reinstated to the same position, or one equivalent to it in all respects.
Your company is not meeting this requirement. Neither the job nor the pay is equivalent in the scenario you described.
You did not mention why the positon was no longer available? Was it filled by someone else or was it eliminated? In the latter case, some other issues come to bear. In the former, you have some issues to address.
The act requires return to the job or one that is equivalent in all respects. The company is just not doing that. You still have not answered why there was no other position open. What happened to the job she had when she went on the leave?
This company is in direct violation of the FMLA provisions of restoring the employee to the same or equivalent position upon her return.
Whoever made this decision needs to find an equivalent position for this lady or face personal liability as well as company liability.