Employee Requests for Medical Leave: Self-Storage Owner Rights and Obligations

Inside Self Storage published an article written by Ellen Storch, partner in the Long Island office of Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck, on August 30, 2017.

Imagine the following scenario: The manager of one of your self-storage properties, Joe, tells you he’s been diagnosed with cancer. The good news is that it’s likely treatable with chemotherapy and surgery. The bad news is he needs time off for treatment, and his doctors don’t know exactly how long he’ll be unable to work. They estimate he’ll need approximately two months.

You’re sympathetic. However, he’s only been employed with your company for five months and has already used all his paid time off (PTO). Do you have to grant his request for leave, even though he can’t tell you precisely how long he’ll be out? If you allow him to take leave, do you have to pay him? If so, how much?

Let’s add a layer and say Joe isn’t an effective property manager. You were thinking about replacing him before you learned about his illness. Can you still fire him?

Read more at the full article.