When Employee Health Requests Put Employers on the Hook

No employer thinks a simple sick leave request could end up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. But it happens. Employees raise health-related needs all the time—sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly. They might say they can’t work Tuesdays because of a standing therapy appointment. They might mention needing random days off for a mental health condition. Or they might call in sick so often they’ve burned through all their PTO and unpaid time.