Ann Kiernan replies:

Not only can the employer ask, sometimes it should. For instance, if an employee calls out three days in a row, the employer could ask if the employee is suffering from a serious health condition that would be covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act and get the FMLA paperwork started, if necessary.

But I do not recommend prying. If the employee wants three days off to attend to a family matter, isn’t that enough? Do you really want to know the sordid details?

 

Posted 03-15-2017

Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.