Shop Steward Day That Makes It All Worthwhile
It's days like today that I abso-FUCKING-lutely love being a Union Shop Steward. No, I don't get paid for it, but I love it nonetheless.
Guy I'm Stewarding has a serious health condition, and he needs to go to a doctor's visit for treatment. As I'm talking to him, I tell him that this is a FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) condition. He has no idea what I'm talking about, his Supervisor has never mentioned FMLA, and his HRC (Human Resources Contact) has never mentioned FMLA.
Now, at times I get lied to by employees, so I have learned to have a healthy dose of skepticism in my conversations. He tells me the Supervisor is essentially holding his doctor visit hostage saying she won't approve his Leave, and she's done this before.
I make an appointment with the HRC who is filling in while his is on vacation. She is very evasive about it, so I'm realizing that I have not only a Supervisor who is clueless but also TWO HRCs who are clueless about FMLA.
DAFUQ!?
We walk right over to the FMLA Coordinator. She's not in her office, but I see her purse on her desk so I figure she cannot be far. We just hang out there for a few outside her office. The HRC fill-in "happens by", and we tell her that we're waiting. Few more minutes, and the HRC fill-in will "try to print something off".
A few more minutes, and I see the FMLA Coordinator. We talk briefly, and the FMLA Coordinator asks a question. The employee is still very frazzled by this, so he's looking at me unsure how to answer, and I'm just nodding affirmatively as if saying, "You answer Yes to this."
We got to the FMLA Coordinator's office, and she shows him the paperwork. She can tell the guy is rattled, and that he's more trusting of me so I did most of the talking. I've personally been through FMLA myself more than once, so I probably know more about it than anyone except the FMLA Coordinator.
A couple of questions, and this guy's world completely turns around.
"Do you need to go to the doctor today?"
"Would you like me to provisionally approve you for FMLA today?"
"What time is your appointment for?"
"Is is OK if I take lunch, and when I get back I'll set you up and you'll be approved."
I talk the Employee through some of the quick details of FMLA. Only people that will know the details are you, your doctor, and the FMLA Coordinator. Only thing the Supervisor will know is, "This Employee has FMLA on these days." Nothing else. If you have other conditions, get another packet of papers, take that to your other doctor, and then follow up to be sure they send it in. Here's the Fax Number. This isn't 480 hours of free extra Leave. It's Protected Leave so your Supervisor CANNOT say no.
Guy is almost speechless and seemingly unsure if he's being punked or something.
I send an Email to the Supervisor, copying the Employee, telling her that her employee will be on FMLA Leave this afternoon at X time for the rest of the day. I told him before that if there was any pushback then to let me handle it. No fight, just a polite "Thank You" reply.
Is it 1994 again? No? Well, this really did happen today.
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