{"id":2453,"date":"2019-06-18T20:06:11","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T20:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/az-labor-employment-law\/?p=2453"},"modified":"2022-07-09T19:14:29","modified_gmt":"2022-07-09T19:14:29","slug":"terminated-on-medical-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/az-labor-employment-law\/blog\/terminated-on-medical-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Can an Employee Be Terminated While on Medical Leave in Arizona?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n<p>Can an employee be <a href=\"\/az-labor-employment-law\/terminated-employee-rights\/\">terminated<\/a> while on medical leave? Is your employer required to hold your job for you while you\u2019re on disability, and what happens if they don\u2019t?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Arizona is an at-will work state, meaning that management can fire employees at any time and for any (lawful) reason. However, when you\u2019re on medical leave, the situation is different. It\u2019s crucial to know your rights during this time so you aren\u2019t taken advantage of. We\u2019ll cover important key points you should know to protect yourself while taking unpaid leave.<\/p>\n<h2>The Federal FMLA Law<\/h2>\n<p>The FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) is a federal law that gives qualifying employees up to 12 weeks per year of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/general\/topic\/benefits-leave\/fmla\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">unpaid leave<\/a>. How long does an employer have to hold a job for someone on medical leave under this act? You may take a full 12 weeks without the threat of losing your job.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Your employer must maintain your health benefits during this period as if you were still at work. Once you return, your employer must reinstate you to your previous position or an equivalent. You must receive equivalent pay and responsibilities in addition to the same benefits as before.<\/p>\n<h3>What does the Law Cover?<\/h3>\n<p>Under FMLA, you can take time to recover from a serious health condition or take care of a severely ill family member. If you\u2019ve received a foster child for adoption or care, you\u2019re potentially eligible for FMLA rights. This leave also allows you time to bond with your baby or to take care of practical issues related to a relative\u2019s military service. The <a href=\"\/az-labor-employment-law\/family-medical-leave-act\/\">FMLA<\/a> allows employees to take up to 26 weeks to care for a relative who is seriously ill or injured from military service.<\/p>\n<h3>Employer\/Employee Contact<\/h3>\n<p>Can your employer contact you while you\u2019re on short term <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ncbddd\/disabilityandhealth\/impacts\/arizona.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">disability<\/a>? When you\u2019re on FMLA leave, your employer may contact you to ask certain work-related questions. They may only call occasionally and ask you about unfinished tasks or institutional knowledge-related matters. People from your work aren\u2019t allowed to interfere with your leave or ask you to guide them through tasks while you\u2019re taking this time.<\/p>\n<h3>Who is Eligible for the FMLA?<\/h3>\n<p>This law applies to employers with 50 employees or more. You may be eligible if you\u2019ve worked at your job at least 1,250 hours within the 12-month period before your leave begins. You also must perform your job at a worksite that\u2019s within 75 miles of the employer to qualify.<\/p>\n<h2>Termination and FMLA<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>What are the conditions for termination according to the rules and protection provided by the FMLA? Can an employee be terminated while on short term disability? Let\u2019s look closer at these questions below:<\/p>\n<h3>The ADA<\/h3>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ada.gov\/ada_intro.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ADA<\/a> (Americans with Disabilities Act) forbids employers from firing an employee because of a disability. According to this act, disability refers to a \u201cphysical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.\u201d The act\u2019s definition of disability covers many people who are on disability leave.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Disability Accommodation<\/h3>\n<p>As long as it doesn\u2019t cause the employer \u201cundue hardship,\u201d they must try to accommodate your disability if they\u2019re covered by the ADA. However, it\u2019s up to you as the employee to tell your employer about your disability. Accommodations can include granting you extra unpaid leave, restructuring your schedule or duties, and more.<\/p>\n<p>The employer must try out several different types of changes specific to the employee\u2019s disability. Whether the accommodations they provide you count as a hardship for the employer is dependent on factors like the costs and size of the company. If the employer can\u2019t make any reasonable changes to help the employee perform their job, they may legally terminate the worker.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>When can Your Employer Legally Terminate You on Disability Leave?<\/h3>\n<p>Companies are often reluctant to terminate workers on disability leave because of potential consequences. But holding an employee\u2019s position open for an extended period can be impractical for the business. So, when can they lawfully terminate you when you\u2019re on disability leave?<\/p>\n<p>As mentioned, your employer may fire you while you\u2019re on disability leave if you didn\u2019t return after your 12-week FMLA period. They may also terminate you if you don\u2019t return to work once your employer has made accommodations for your condition or you still can\u2019t perform your job after the accommodations.<\/p>\n<h2>After Your Leave Expires<\/h2>\n<p>According to the FMLA law, employers may not consider their employee\u2019s unpaid leave when making decisions to promote, discipline, lay off, or terminate their employment. However, remember that if your leave period is longer than the 12-week period protected by the law, your employer may lawfully terminate you. If you need more time than the FMLA gave you, you\u2019ll need to request it, or you may lose your job.<\/p>\n<h2>Unemployment Considerations<\/h2>\n<p>Can you collect unemployment if you\u2019re terminated while on disability? In this case, you might be able to receive unemployment benefits after you recover. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/unemployment_compensation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Unemployment compensation<\/a> law states that you must be available for duty, actively interviewing, and physically able to work. If you\u2019re on short-term disability and recover soon, you may be able to begin your benefits then. For long-term disability, however, you may never recover, which means unemployment most likely won\u2019t be available.<\/p>\n<h2>Have Questions about Your FMLA Rights?<\/h2>\n<p>If you experience a qualifying event that makes you eligible for FMLA rights, you don\u2019t have to identify the FMLA specifically to your employer. If they know that you\u2019ve been through something that calls for leave, it\u2019s their burden to reach out and see if you need it. You are still eligible for its protections whether or not you mention the FMLA directly to them.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>If you lost a job due to missed work from a medical issue or caring for a sick loved one, you might be able to claim reinstatement or lost wages. If your employer has violated your disability rights, it\u2019s best to speak with an <a href=\"\/az-labor-employment-law\/\">employment law attorney<\/a> as soon as possible. They can answer your questions and help you figure out the next best step.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Call our Employment Law team at <a href=\"tel:4804641111\">(480) 464-1111<\/a>\u00a0to discuss your case today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction Can an employee be terminated while on medical leave? Is your employer required to hold your job for you while you\u2019re on disability, and what happens if they don\u2019t?\u00a0 Arizona is an at-will work state, meaning that management can fire employees at any time and for any (lawful) reason. However, when you\u2019re on medical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Can an Employee Be Terminated While on Medical Leave in Arizona?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Arizona companies can fire employees at any time and for any (lawful) reason. However, if you\u2019re on medical leave, the situation is different.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/az-labor-employment-law\/blog\/terminated-on-medical-leave\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can an Employee Be Terminated While on Medical Leave in Arizona?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Arizona companies can fire employees at any time and for any (lawful) reason. 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