Share an FMLA Experience

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I'm looking to see if anyone here has gone on FMLA due to complications from having ASD? Generally I'm looking for people to share their FMLA experience.

Some talking points:

How did the company handle your request, and were you treated any differently when you returned?

Did going on FMLA help you mentally?

Is this a route you would recommend going, or under what circumstances would you recommend doing this?

What medical professional helped you go on FMLA and what was that part of the process like?

I'm generally curious right now, because my work situation is getting really unbearable, and this is a route I'm seriously considering.

If anyone knows whether or not short-term disability can be used on FMLA and how that works would also be helpful?

I have never been on FMLA leave.


The company is not allowed to discriminate against you once you come back from leave, however people tend to freak out at the slightest indication of a mental health issue, and I expect they will treat you differently. You will probably be trusted with less responsibility on projects and could face social isolation.


Taking time off helps, but FMLA is kind of forcing it on the employer. It'll be better if the employer can work something out with you, you take the time off that you need, and then come back to work without having an adversarial relationship.


I wouldn't recommend this route unless the employer was completely unwilling to work with you AND you must have time off AND you insist on keeping the job after you come back from leave.


A licensed psychologist with ASD experience can help you, but psychologists are not always specialists in employment law, so you may also need to consult a lawyer to make sure all your ducks are in a row. If your company has a strong HR department, they might be willing to work with you. Well run companies usually don't have HR under operations management, so they typically aren't going to work against you (but your legal department is more interested in limiting the company's liability exposure, so I wouldn't recommend talking to anyone in legal about this).


You would be applying for FMLA under §102(a)(1)(D) which doesn't specify a minimum duration of illness. You'll probably be better off under FMLA than STD.
See: http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/fmlaAmended ... EQUIREMENT

Thanks for replying carthago.

I see the risks, but I don't consider this a job that's in my long term future. The company's in a bit of rough spot and I might get laid off anyways ... but this is taking longer than expected.

My therapist has had me keep a journal of my day-to-day thoughts and nearly every entry mentions something about how much I hate my current job or problems I'm having at my job. This past week was pretty unbearable, I left multiple times during the day to go to my car to either meltdown, or read (which helps keep me calm), or just be away from it all. Don't know how much longer I can last, and I'm beginning to think FMLA may be the only option where I can get away from this job and heal myself properly.

You would need a medical diagnosis (by a psychiatrist or other doctor) and a "rehab" like course of action that is required by the doctor. I went out on FMLA leave years ago due to a worsening of my neurological condition (its similar to MS), that was caused by my job. I had to do physical rehab and counseling for my stress. I fell during rehab and was able to leverage that to extend my short-term leave to long-term leave. I got state disability three years after I originally went out on leave.

I'm now finishing a masters in a new subject, and I'm able to work on my research, with disability accommodations from my university. I was in middle management in a software development company before, making a pretty good wage for this area. I would rather flip burgers and make 1/4 as much as I did than go back. Since I'm on disability and doing alright, I don't care if I'm gainfully employed again. I feel so much better just doing something that I believe in instead of being where I was.

Thanks for replying SocOfAutism and sharing your FMLA experience. I'm glad to hear your experience improved your life, and I would love to be able to do something I love for a living ... like what you've been able to do with your life.

I do have an AS diagnosis and I'm in therapy, I still keep in touch with the psychologist who diagnosed me, and I've started seeing a psychiatrist this year, too.

A plan of action is what I'd need, and that I don't know how to formulate. I'll try to talk with my therapist and psychiatrist about it later this week.