Question

You Are the Manager of an agency/ nonprofit, and one of your employees requests additional time off to care for an elderly parent? Explain which law protects this individual. In addition to taking leave under this law, what are some of the other things you could do to Help this employee?

Answer 1

An employee who needs leaves to take care of an elderly parent is protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. It is a labor law that requires employers to provide leaves to employees for genuine family and medical reasons.

I would help the employee in the following ways:

• I would talk to the employee and ask if he or she needs work-related or any other support from my end.
• I would encourage the employee to take sufficient time off as per his or her requirement. I would request the employee to inform the estimated duration of the time off so that I can make necessary arrangements for the employee's work. This would also help the employee to spend the time off with a relaxed mind.
• I would delegate the employee's work to other team members so that the employee doesn't face undue pressure when he or she returns to work.
• I would ask the employee whether he or she needs any financial support. If required, I would help him or her to get an interest-free loan from the organization.