If you take Leave, Do the Right thing....

[MisLead]

Hello guys -

I just want to give all you part timers a head up. In early March my wife was going to have surgery. And I had to take sometime off. My supervisor said it was ok. So the 2nd week in March I took off the day of the day before her operation. I was out the 2 weeks I like I had told my Supervisor and when I tried to go back I was told I was fired.

I have a hearing in the next week about it - and I am sure I will get my job back. But it makes me question UPS morals. I do understand that I should have filled out the FMLA form now. And even asked if I need to do anything and my Sup, said no it should be ok.

If you have to take off for any Medical reason Fill out an FMLA form your HR. This will take care of a lot of stress!!!

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

It sounds like you brought this stress upon yourself by not filling out the FMLA paperwork as required. Were you fired for job abandonment?

 

[Camping Nana]

Hello guys -

I just want to give all you part timers a head up. In early March my wife was going to have surgery. And I had to take sometime off. My supervisor said it was ok. So the 2nd week in March I took off the day of the day before her operation. I was out the 2 weeks I like I had told my Supervisor and when I tried to go back I was told I was fired.

I have a hearing in the next week about it - and I am sure I will get my job back. But it makes me question UPS morals. I do understand that I should have filled out the FMLA form now. And even asked if I need to do anything and my Sup, said no it should be ok.

If you have to take off for any Medical reason Fill out an FMLA form your HR. This will take care of a lot of stress!!!

It appears to me that he asked what he needed to do. I think ALL companies - not just UPS - sometimes fall short in explaining to their employees what is needed to comply with certain regulations. It is apparent that the supervisor didn't know what was required.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

It appears to me that he asked what he needed to do. I think ALL companies - not just UPS - sometimes fall short in explaining to their employees what is needed to comply with certain regulations. It is apparent that the supervisor didn't know what was required.

If it were me and it meant my livelihood I would make sure that everything was taken care of prior to taking the time off.

He will probably get his job back w/o back pay.

 

[trickpony1]

what can brown do for you?

 

[jimstud]

what can brown do for you?

no what can brown do to you?

 

[fxdwg]

Hello guys -

I just want to give all you part timers a head up. In early March my wife was going to have surgery. And I had to take sometime off. My supervisor said it was ok. So the 2nd week in March I took off the day of the day before her operation. I was out the 2 weeks I like I had told my Supervisor and when I tried to go back I was told I was fired.

I have a hearing in the next week about it - and I am sure I will get my job back. But it makes me question UPS morals. I do understand that I should have filled out the FMLA form now. And even asked if I need to do anything and my Sup, said no it should be ok.

If you have to take off for any Medical reason Fill out an FMLA form your HR. This will take care of a lot of stress!!!

Sorry, not buying it!!!

So, he lied through his teeth??

Why would he do that???

There's some important details missing here. I'm sorry, but it didn't work as you say it did in my day and I can't believe a basic thing such as important time off for an Employee would.

 

[1989]

Hello guys -

I just want to give all you part timers a head up. In early March my wife was going to have surgery. And I had to take sometime off. My supervisor said it was ok. So the 2nd week in March I took off the day of the day before her operation. I was out the 2 weeks I like I had told my Supervisor and when I tried to go back I was told I was fired.

I have a hearing in the next week about it - and I am sure I will get my job back. But it makes me question UPS morals. I do understand that I should have filled out the FMLA form now. And even asked if I need to do anything and my Sup, said no it should be ok.

If you have to take off for any Medical reason Fill out an FMLA form your HR. This will take care of a lot of stress!!!

You didn't get a 72 hour return to work notice? (I think it's 72 hours) Or even a phone call? Took some leave in 2002, that form is easier to fill out than endorsing the back of a paycheck. Okay, about as easy. FYI...they have that form for a reason.

 

[22.34life]

since you said you are a p/t did you talk about this time off with the sort manager or just your part time sup,never ever talk to any p/t sup about anything like this you should always deal with the sort manager no one else,not that he wont stab you in the back to but less likely.for two weeks off i dont see any reason for fmla i took off same amount twice in the past for similar reasons no problem.

 

[JonFrum]

The burden of dealing with FMLA requirements is initially on UPS, not the employee. All the employee has to do is ask for generic leave and mention sufficient details so UPS can suspect that the leave may qualify as FMLA leave. UPS then evaluates the situation, asks for more details if necessary, and informs the employee in writing of its decision and all the rights, responsibilities, and proceedures the employee and the company must follow.

Read all the revelant Q&As in this factsheet . . .
http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/finalrule/NonMilitaryFAQs.pdf

Low-level supervisors may not be familiar with FMLA's many legal requirements. That's why employees should always attempt to ultimately deal with the designated Human Resources representative. (Something often easier said than done.) But all a first-time employee is required to do is ask any member of management for generic time off. It's the supervisor's responsibility to bump the matter up to the official FMLA contact person in HR for evaluation and further action.

Mislead, if UPS never gave you a written response or gave you a form to fill out, and then fired you after approving your time off, they have probably broken the law in several respects.

Official FMLA website:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/index.htm

 

[1989]

Has anyone ever had a no call, no show and not gotten a call from UPS?

 

[Dark_Team_135]

Mislead, if UPS never gave you a written response or gave you a form to fill out, and then fired you after approving your time off, they have probably broken the law in several respects.

The employee would have had to have worked 1250 hours during the past year (or 625 hours during the past year if he has been employed at UPS for 3 years or more) for these rules to apply.

It is better to fill out the forms if you are aware of them since companies will always try to say the employee didn't make it clear that they were asking off for a qualifying event. It can go either way since it usually comes down to a "he said-she said" situation...

 

[steeltoe]

Sorry, not buying it!!!

So, he lied through his teeth??

Why would he do that???

There's some important details missing here. I'm sorry, but it didn't work as you say it did in my day and I can't believe a basic thing such as important time off for an Employee would.

fxdwg, I do not know when your day was, but you are out of the loop. A similar circumstance happened to one of our part-timers just this last Tuesday. She filled out all the paperwork and received a letter from HR stating she was approved for FMLA. Well, guess what, she was called into the office and informed an intent to terminate was in the works.

She told them about the approval. The part-time sup said it did not matter because she did not turn it into him. I was like, are you serious? Her medical situation is none of your business. She followed the proper steps and was approved. They then informed her that she must bring in the letter of approval. All he had to do was call HR. Did he, ofcourse not. She brought the letter the next day and we are back to square one.

So don't think for one minute that some 19 year old part-time sup who was loading trucks just 3 months ago knows anything about FMLA. I have been with this company for over 20 years and have never seen the part-time management so poor.

Heck, just this year, my building has had 3 part-time sups fired for physical theft. I mean getting caught at the guard gate with merchandise.

This is not the UPS of 20 years ago.

 

[Camping Nana]

If it were me and it meant my livelihood I would make sure that everything was taken care of prior to taking the time off.

He will probably get his job back w/o back pay.

I agree with you. I would probably have pestered my supervisor until he was ready to drop-kick me! However, not everyone is like you and me - they trust that their supervisor(s) know what they are talking about in matters like this.

And to the poster who asked if the supervisor "lied through his teeth"...... It's been known to happen.

From personal experience, a lot of management people do not want you to deal directly with H.R. In fact, some people have been known to be told that things like this MUST go through local management.

 

[SignificantOwner]

UPSers.com explains the process and has the form to fill out. Taking care of FMLA paperwork is solely the responsibility of the employee - it's very cut and dry. I get a copy of the FMLA approval or denial letter once reviewed by HR. Until then I have to follow normal attendance guidelines/discipline.

 

[RoyalFlush]

fxdwg, I do not know when your day was, but you are out of the loop. A similar circumstance happened to one of our part-timers just this last Tuesday. She filled out all the paperwork and received a letter from HR stating she was approved for FMLA. Well, guess what, she was called into the office and informed an intent to terminate was in the works.

She told them about the approval. The part-time sup said it did not matter because she did not turn it into him. I was like, are you serious? Her medical situation is none of your business. She followed the proper steps and was approved. They then informed her that she must bring in the letter of approval. All he had to do was call HR. Did he, ofcourse not. She brought the letter the next day and we are back to square one.

So don't think for one minute that some 19 year old part-time sup who was loading trucks just 3 months ago knows anything about FMLA. I have been with this company for over 20 years and have never seen the part-time management so poor.

Whether it's required by law or not, it would make good sense to tell your supervisor when your not going to be at work. Unless theres was 30 days advance notice of the absence the employee is required to follow the normal call in process. There's a handful of HR people for a few thousand employees in each district. How would they even know who the employees supervisor is?

 

[brownIEman]

fxdwg, I do not know when your day was, but you are out of the loop. A similar circumstance happened to one of our part-timers just this last Tuesday. She filled out all the paperwork and received a letter from HR stating she was approved for FMLA. Well, guess what, she was called into the office and informed an intent to terminate was in the works.

She told them about the approval. The part-time sup said it did not matter because she did not turn it into him. I was like, are you serious? Her medical situation is none of your business. She followed the proper steps and was approved. They then informed her that she must bring in the letter of approval. All he had to do was call HR. Did he, ofcourse not. She brought the letter the next day and we are back to square one.

So don't think for one minute that some 19 year old part-time sup who was loading trucks just 3 months ago knows anything about FMLA. I have been with this company for over 20 years and have never seen the part-time management so poor.

Heck, just this year, my building has had 3 part-time sups fired for physical theft. I mean getting caught at the guard gate with merchandise.

This is not the UPS of 20 years ago.

If I am reading this correctly, she contacted HR, got approved, and then took FMLA leave. Sounds to me like she did not call her supervisor, which, according to the FAQ at the link jonfrum provided, is required by the FMLA law -

"Q. Is an employee required to follow an employer’s normal call-in procedures when taking FMLA leave?
A. Yes. Under the regulations, an employee must comply with an employer’s call-in procedures unless unusual circumstances prevent the employee from doing so (in which case the employee must provide notice as soon as he or she can practicably do so). The regulations make clear that, if the employee fails to provide timely notice, he or she may have the FMLA leave request delayed or denied and may be subject to whatever discipline the employer’s rules provide."

The part time sup was incorrect in that she does not need to turn any paper work into him. She does however, have to call in to him when she is taking the time off. By not doing so she violated the FMLA, and UPS attendance policy and subjected herself to UPS attendance discipline.

 

[Camping Nana]

UPSers.com explains the process and has the form to fill out. Taking care of FMLA paperwork is solely the responsibility of the employee - it's very cut and dry. I get a copy of the FMLA approval or denial letter once reviewed by HR. Until then I have to follow normal attendance guidelines/discipline.

Okay - but not every employee uses or is even aware of the fact that UPSers.com if there for their use. However, EVERY management person (P/T sups as well) should know enough to direct an employee to the site for proper procedures to be followed or know enough to give them the proper paperwork to fill out ........... and folks, it just ain't that way!

 

[22.34life]

Has anyone ever had a no call, no show and not gotten a call from UPS?

you must be a package car driver and have been for a while.no call no shows are so common in the hub its hard to believe,not just one day but multiple days in a row.Bad attendance for a driver is like 6 call inns in a year for a p/t hub its like 60.Some times though they dont answer the hub line because of the high volume of call inns.BElieve it or not if you were someone who flew low enough under the rader you could not show up for days in the hub and its possible nobody would notice.

 

[22.34life]

All tHis fmla talk is a bunch of crap.THis is exactly how this situation played out this person probably has not worked for ups long and thought,wow this big fortune 500 company surely has enough sense to understand my request for two weeks off for my wifes surgery,so i guess i should talk to my 6 month p/t sup who just got promoted 30 days ago and ask him about it.P/t sup says sure why not ,take all the time you need,the time off comes and he forgets this conversation ever happens then he is late to the presort meeting because of school or whatever bs he does and now the fulltime sup wants to know where so and so has been ,he tells the manager in private "hey so and so hasnt been here all week "the manager says "what the friend* terminate him" aND THEN WE ALL READ ABOUT it on brown cafe THE END...?