Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: Could you please tell me whether an employer can require employees to file for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? A: Most employers can require their employees to designate an absence as FMLA, but not the federal government. OPM regulations on FMLA cover only federal employees and specifically state that the decision to invoke FMLA belongs to the employee. Bill Bransford is managing partner of Shaw Bransford & Roth…

Ask the Lawyer received the following question (paraphrased for easier reading and clarity) from a reader on a legal matter that might be of interest to the entire audience. Q: I am currently a Fire Chief working for the Air Force. Last March, I had a stroke while on-duty. Initially, my agency placed me on workman’s comp with the Department of Labor (OWCP) and I was placed on COP stats pending treatment/recovery. I returned to work two weeks after my stroke for half days. Two weeks later I was back to work full time. I am in picture perfect health,…

Agencies looking to downsize staffs as budgets shrink may offer incentives to encourage employees to leave before they otherwise might. Early retirement and buyout offers are two such means. Some employees, who might leave anyway, wait for the early retirement or buyout opportunity to improve their options. Two widely held beliefs are that the buyout is $25,000 and that bets can be hedged on the early out by putting in for it and then changing your mind before the retirement takes place. Neither is always the case. Caution should be taken, and full information obtained before making a decision. Early retirement Voluntary Early…