The Family and Medical Leave Act allows you to leave to tend to a medical illness for yourself or a family member while being immune from termination from your employer. You know that you have job protection, but you might wonder about other aspects that the act covers. For example, you may wonder if you’re entitled to receive bonuses while you are away on an FMLA leave. That’s a legitimate concern, and this is the answer along with additional information about how an employment attorney Los Angeles can assist you.
Your Rights Under FMLA Leave
One thing that your employer must do is reinstate you to the same job position you had before you left for approved FMLA. Most Los Angeles bonus disputes lawyers will tell you that. At the very least, they must reinstate you to an equivalent position and offer you the same pay you had as well as the benefit. When it comes to bonuses, however, your entitlement may be tricky. Your eligibility will depend on whether or not the bonus is based on performance factors that you can’t meet because you aren’t at work. Some bonuses go by attendance or sales metrics, for example. You would not be entitled to receive such a bonus while you are on FMLA because you are not actively working. You still may have a leg to stand on with the help of Los Angeles bonus disputes lawyers, however. If you can prove that the employer offered such bonuses to other workers who were on non-FMLA leaves, then you have an excellent chance of receiving the bonus while you are on FMLA.
What to Do if You’ve Been Skipped for Bonus
The first thing to do if you’ve missed a bonus during your FMLA time is to find out the qualifying factors for the bonus. You can usually tell if you’re eligible to receive it with that information alone. We still recommend that you contact employment attorneys for bonus disputes. These specialists will not leave any stone unturned if you need to sue for unpaid bonuses. He or she can dig much deeper into the matter than you can by yourself. You should contact employment attorneys for bonus disputes even if you don’t think you qualify. You might find out that the complete opposite is true.
Schedule a Free Consultation
You should act now if you feel as though your employer has unlawfully denied you access to your bonus during an FMLA leave. You may need to sue for unpaid bonuses, and a reputable employment lawyer can do that for you. The first step is to contact the firm and schedule a free consultation. You can do that by calling on the phone or completing a short form to request assistance. A Los Angeles workplace lawyer will assess your situation and let you know if you can win the case. He or she will fight for you fully if you’re eligible, and you agree to the representation.
