Trying to help a fellow preloader

[earthomesrcool]

Hello All!!!!! First time here to this very interesting forum.I'm trying to help out a fellow preloader,she has a 14 year old child with a life threatening illness and she has to take a lot of time off to take him for treatments.This started in March, she already has applied for and received FMLA but they will only give her 6 weeks instead of the 12,because of the part time position,and shes getting a lot of grief from an HR person.
Does anyone know of any other leave that is available? She is getting very frustrated and afraid of losing her benefits and possibly her job!!!!!! She doesnt need the grief and added stress to this all ready stressful situation.
Anyone who has any information that would help her out would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JonFrum]

It sounds like she may not qualify for FMLA leave, but does qualify for the contractual 6-week FMLA-like leave for UPS part-timers in Article 16, Section 6.

Search the Internet to see if your State has a more generous FMLA-type leave law. Some do.

She can always take a regular unpaid leave as described in Article 16, Section 2, and possibly in your Supplement.

National Master:
http://www.teamster.org/sites/teamsters.prometheuslabor.com/files/03%2006%2009%20Final%20UPS%20Master%20Agreemnt%202008-2013.pdf

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

She is in a Catch-22 situation here. She has to take time off to take her son to his treatments yet has to keep working so as to maintain her benefits which pay for those treatments. It sounds as though she needs a support network, whether through her family, her church, or perhaps her co-workers to help her not only get her son to his treatments but to help with those day-to-day things that get put on the back burner. This may be where you and your co-workers can best help. I am sure she could use a little break. Beyond that there are not many options availabe to her that she has not already taken advantage of.

It is cases such as these where I would love to have the option of donating unused sick and/or personal days.

Jon mentioned a regular unpaid leave. This is another option but she needs to find out how long her benefits would continue if she chose this option. She also needs to determine whether she could afford to go without a weekly paycheck and, if so, for how long.

Please let her know that her son is in our thoughts and prayers. Dave.

 

[JonFrum]

She can make the most of the six weeks by taking the time off intermittently. FMLA leave can be taken in minutes, or hours at a time, so long as you are approved for intermittent leave in advance. Don't waste a full day or week of leave if you only need to come in an hour late, or leave an hour early, or take a few hours off during the shift. Just be sure to give as much advanced notice of each instance as possible, and call-in on the day in question.

You must make an effort to not disrupt UPS operations if you can reasonably do so.

However, since the six weeks is not strictly FMLA leave, I'm not sure if all the FMLA rules apply to part-timers. I hope the "intermittent" rules are the same, but I'm not sure.

UPS must make contributions to your H&W fund on your behalf while on "FMLA" leave, just as if you were working. If you substitute vacations, sick days, and optionals, for your leave then you would get H&W contributions made if you normally would during these times off work.
http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/index.htm

 

[cachsux]

JonFrum hit it on the head. One would not have to call in on the day if they had given prior notice or in an emergency situation call in as soon as possible once the situation allows.

 

[hellfire]

she is going to have to make a hard decision , i would think having the insurance and the ability to get VERY GOOD health care is a strong motivator....At this point she is a liability for the Co and profit . She will get no sympathy from corporate,, and from now on ,she is on the radar . Its s tough choice ,heathcare or time off... good luck

 

[earthomesrcool]

Thanks everybody for your help and kind words I will pass them on.In her situation the interminttent time off doesnt work it is a 6 to 7 hour drive one way for treatment and it is a 3 or 5 day procedure with a week or two off in between treatments.Starting with the next treatment her and her husband are going to take turns taking him to treatments.