Compliance Risk is Growing: $30,000 DOL Finding at the University of TN

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A $30,000 DOL finding at the University of Tennessee is a warning every HR team should read carefully.

The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division found that the University of Tennessee violated federal law after an employee on approved intermittent FMLA leave was told to resign or face termination. The university also failed to provide the employee with its complete FMLA policy covering employee rights. The DOL recovered $30,442 in back wages.

At ConnectBridge, this pattern shows up more than most employers realize. When a manager pressures an employee on approved leave to resign, the FMLA doesn’t treat that as a voluntary departure; investigators look at what actually happened and why.

The safeguard is this process: confirm your FMLA policy is complete, ensure managers understand what retaliation includes beyond termination, and make sure leave tracking and reinstatement practices are documented and consistent.

HRMorning breaks down the case and the compliance checklist. To read more, click here.

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