Analyzing Erin Durham's Rights under the Garner Medical Leave Act

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Discussion
A court would likely reason that leave granted to employees under the Garner Medical Leave Act (GMLA) should have been granted to Erin Durham. “Employers covered by this Act are required to grant leave to an eligible employee to care for the employee’s … parent with a serious health condition.” Gar. Stat. tit. 29, § 2612(B) (2014). Garner University is covered by the Garner Medical Leave Act and Durham is an eligible employee, therefore these two stipulation of the Garner Statute are not disputed. Durham will likely be found to have acted in compliance with this Act, because her grandmother stood in loco parentis to her during her minority, her grandmother has a serious health condition, and Durham cared for her grandmother. …show more content…

A care giver must be in close and continuing proximity to the family member to be able to directly ‘care for’ the person suffering from a serious health condition.” Shaw v. BG Enterprises, 482 P.4th 153 (Gar. Spr. Ct. 2012).
The Shaw court held that Daniel Shaw’s actions did not constitute as caring for his daughter as is defined by the Garner statute. Id. “Shaw’s actions in arranging a transfer, making phone calls, and preparing their home for his daughter’s eventual return may have been helpful, but they [were] not activities contemplated within the meaning of the term ‘care for.’” Id. These actions were not deemed to be “actual participation[s] in the care or treatment” of the daughter. Id. Furthermore, Shaw was 200 miles away from his daughter and therefore was not in close and continuing proximity to his daughter. …show more content…

BG Enterprises, the court reasoned that “[a] coma is an example of a medical condition that far exceeds the minimum statutory requirements.” Shaw v. BG Enterprises, 482 P.4th 153. The Shaw court also noted that the conditions like “the common cold, the flu, ear aches, upset stomach, minor ulcers, and headaches (other than migraines) would fail to meet the requirements.” Id. The court in Carson v. Houser Manufacturing also spoke on this issue in reasoning that “evidence of complications requiring hospitalization or ongoing treatment by a healthcare provider” could aid in establishing that a person’s ailment is a serious health condition. Carson v. Houser Manufacturing, 550 P.4th 38. The Carson court also noted that actions like driving a person to the doctor and buying medicine are distinguished from “treatment by a health care provider” and insufficient in establishing the existence of a serious health condition.

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