Let me preface this post by acknowledging that as a supervisor I would hate to have an employee like me. I am a mid level manager, 6 subordinates in a technical firm. I am beyond full social security age and milking my time at my employer to increase my 30-year pension by a few dollars. Also, 100% pay versus 50% pension, plus I have oodles of sick time which is paid and my 12 weeks of approved fmla is protected. I plan on holding out on ss until age 70. I would like to get another 12 months of work time.
My employer has gone through a shake up and I am the last man standing of my contemporaries and all young new people have been hired. Mentally, I am done, my interest in the work is kaput, I’ve become a cynical, but polite, curmudgeon. Coupled with all this, is my spouse has a chronic illness and her doctor filled out the fmla paperwork indicating that I am her caregiver for up to 4 intermittent episodes a week, each for up to a 5 hour duration. My spouse appreciates as much time I can devote to her so it could be argued 4 intermittent 5 hour durations is not enough, but that’s all the doc would go for.
My work has granted me intermittent fmla for next year. Essentially, I have been taking off every afternoon after lunch 4 times a week. At the max this would last for the next 7 1/2 months. My supervisor asked if I could just always take my fmla time only in the afternoon as it would be easier for my office to plan for meetings and such. I told her no because my spouse’s episodes occur intermittently and I never know when an episode is going to occur. Sometimes I will take fmla time when there is an a.m. meeting I don’t feel like attending.
On the 5th day of the work week I have been, in accordance with my work’s one day a week telework policy, been teleworking. I have never used this time to provide care for my wife, I only telework during this time. Even though I am not physically providing care my presence whilst teleworking comforts my spouse.
My boss just called me in to her office and informed me that it has been “decided that it is in the best interest of my company and my work group to revoke my telework privilege. As a mid level manager my section needs me to be present in order to provide the proper oversight and management.” The result of this revocation of my telework privilege is that instead of physically being in the office 4 half days I would now have to be in the office 4 half days plus 1 full day.
I feel my work is punishing and intimidating me for utilizing fmla time to provide care for my wife. Am I correct? How do I get back my telework privilege while also providing care for my spouse in accordance with approved fmla?