context: On the record before us, a reasonable jury could conclude that Janczak's taking FMLA leave played a role in his ultimate termination and so find in his favor. Though taking advantage of Janczak's absence to reevaluate the value of his contributions to the company might appear a prudent economic decision in the abstract, protecting ill or caregiving employees from the effects of such a decision is precisely the purpose of the FMLA.
citation_a.signal: see
citation_a.identifier: 577 F.3d 1161, 1161
citation_a.parenthetical: observing that "the FMLA was enacted because employers had found it in their economic self-interest to fire employees who missed too much work for medical care or other reasons now addressed by the FMLA"
citation_a.sentence: See DeFreitas, 577 F.3d at 1161 (observing that “the FMLA was enacted because employers had found it in their economic self-interest to fire employees who missed too much work for medical care or other reasons now addressed by the FMLA”); Brockman, 342 F.3d at 1164 (recounting the FMLA’s purpose to “alleviate the economic burdens to both the employee and to his or her family of illness-related job-loss”); cf. Smith v. Diffee Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Inc., 298 F.3d 955, 959 (10th Cir.2002) (employee prevailed on FMLA interference claim even though “[d]uring [her] absence, [the employer] says it became apparent” that she had not fully trained her subordinate).
citation_b.signal: cf.
citation_b.identifier: 298 F.3d 955, 959
citation_b.parenthetical: employee prevailed on FMLA interference claim even though "[d]uring [her] absence, [the employer] says it became apparent" that she had not fully trained her subordinate
citation_b.sentence: See DeFreitas, 577 F.3d at 1161 (observing that “the FMLA was enacted because employers had found it in their economic self-interest to fire employees who missed too much work for medical care or other reasons now addressed by the FMLA”); Brockman, 342 F.3d at 1164 (recounting the FMLA’s purpose to “alleviate the economic burdens to both the employee and to his or her family of illness-related job-loss”); cf. Smith v. Diffee Ford-Lincoln-Mercury, Inc., 298 F.3d 955, 959 (10th Cir.2002) (employee prevailed on FMLA interference claim even though “[d]uring [her] absence, [the employer] says it became apparent” that she had not fully trained her subordinate).