COVINGTON, GA – A Covington distribution center turned an employee and their family’s joyous celebration of life and a chance to bond with their newborn into a nightmare by illegally terminating the worker for exercising their rights under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, an investigation has found.
Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found U.S. Logistics Solutions Inc. – part of a large network of logistics providers based in Humble, Texas – fired a dock supervisor after they exercised their right to request and use FMLA-protected leave for parental bonding and to care for a spouse with a qualifying health condition.
The division determined the employer – despite being aware of the child’s birth – withheld parental leave from the employee. In fact, on June 2, 2022 – 42 days after the birth – the employer summoned the employee to a meeting to discuss the FMLA denial for care of his spouse and allege payroll theft. At the meeting, the employer told the employee they were being terminated.
A week later, on June 9, 2022, U.S. Logistics Solutions notified that the company had cancelled the employee’s FMLA parental bonding request on April 13, 2022, eight days before the child’s birth. Investigators found the employer failed to inform the employee of the cancellation before June 2022.
The department’s investigation led to the recovery of $67,140 for the former employee. The total includes missed earnings after being terminated,...
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