Maura Currier has been working for Computer Tech for four years as a lead supervisor. During the past two years, Curriers elderly mother has needed frequent medical attention for her diabetes. Being the only child, Currier has helped her mother, Jane Currier, as often as her work schedule would allow. Unfortunately, during the past two years, her mothers condition has worsened. With the passage of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Currier asked the firm for, and was granted, an unpaid leave to care for her mother in accordance with company policy. The agreement stated that Currier could miss work every Friday for 60 weeks rather than take off 12 straight weeks. At the end of 60 weeks, Currier returned to work full time and immediately began missing work to care for her mother until all of her allotted vacation and sick leave days were exhausted. She then asked that her Friday leave be extended indefinitely, because her mothers condition remained serious and she required ongoing assistance. The firms HR Director was uncertain what her response should be in this situation. ComputerTech needed Currier to be at work regularly because of the increasingly heavy workload, the fact that her job duties were critical, and because other supervisors and employees preferred not to have to cover for her. On the other hand, Currier was an excellent supervisor and had worked at ComputerTech for four years. In addition, everyone was concerned about the welfare of both Curreier and her mother and wanted to be supportive of them.

1. Pretend that you are the HR specialist at Curriers employer who is responsible for approving and tracking FMLA leave. What conditions should you have checked before approving Curriers FMLA leave?

A) Describe each condition that needed to be met in order for Currier to be eligible for FMLA leave

B) Describe if Currier was indeed entitled to FMLA leave or if there are any areas in which you would need to gather more information

2. Balancing work and family responsibilities is a major challenge for many workers like Currier. Although Curriers employer does not have any elder-care benefits, there are a variety of programs that employers can adopt to help employees deal with elder-care issues such as: referral services to help employees locate elder-care providers, on-site elder care centers, and emergency elder-care assistance. How can these types of family-care benefits provide firms with a competitive advantage?

A) Identify and describe two ways in which such benefits can serve as a competitive advantage for employers

B) Provide examples/hypothetical scenarios to illustrate your points