While on vacation in Australia, a man made the news when video showed him saving some children from a shark on the beach. The problem? He and his wife were both on sick leave from work. His employer took exception to his method of recovery–shark wrangling–and terminated his employment.
Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, certain employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off for their serious health condition. Improper use of the leave or falsification of serious health condition claims may be legal grounds for termination. Even when FMLA doesn’t apply to sick leave taken by an employee, most employers’ sick leave policies require that the employee actually be sick to take advantage of the leave.