The Essential Toolkit for Handling School Employee Illnesses, Injuries, and Leaves

Implementing your district’s policies and programs related to employee illnesses, injuries, and leaves has always been challenging. The laws that impact these programs are constantly evolving, and the employees who work in this area often change too.

This series is a great opportunity for everyone to get up to speed in an accessible and affordable format. Each session covers a specific topic, but they are designed to be taken as a series.

All sessions are presented by Jennifer A. Powell, one of the firm’s shareholders who is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Webcast Series Descriptions

What’s in Your Toolbox, Part 1: Overview of the FMLA and ADA, Including Recent Developments

The Family Medical Leave Act of 1992 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, are the key federal laws impacting this area. The two laws have been interpreted extensively by the courts, as well as the Department of Labor and EEOC. It is important to be up to date on the requirements of these laws. In this session we cover the basics, as well as some of the nuances and recent developments related to these laws.

What’s in Your Toolbox, Part 2: Overview of the Other Federal and State Laws that Impact Employee Illnesses, Injuries, and Leave

As if the FMLA and ADA were not enough, employers also have to worry about the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), as well as provisions in the Texas Education Code and Texas Labor Code, all of which have been interpreted by the courts. In this session we cover these laws and how they interact with the FMLA and ADA.

Let’s Get Our Hands Dirty: Processing Requests for Leave and Monitoring Employee Absences

With a solid understanding of the legal requirements, in this session we will walk through practical scenarios of dealing with employees who are unable to work. Steps taken here can impact the district’s rights with respect to these employees later, so you want to make sure leaves are handled properly from the outset.

Cleaning Up: Returning Employees and Handling Employees Who Cannot Return or Who Need Accommodations

All leaves of absence will come to an end. Some of those employees will be able to return to work without restrictions. Other employees will need accommodations to return. Some employees will not be able to return at all. And some employees will not ever actually need leave to deal with their illnesses or injuries, but will also need accommodations. In this session, we address how to handle all of these scenarios in a way that reduces district liability.