Employee benefits are the foundation of a financial portfolio that often enhances the value of any work performed on behalf of a company or organization. These benefits are based on the work of many people and organizations over the years to protect certain fundamental and less fundamental rights. The rights have unified protection under the law and have agencies that facilitate the guidelines of the law and will impose punitive sanctions if an employer is found to have violated these laws based on the results of a lawsuit brought by an employee against a company. FMLAFamily Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was designed to help families who may need to leave their employer's employment for a period of time (12 weeks), provided they have been with the company for 12 months and have have worked at least 1,250 hours during this period. The leave may be for caring for another immediate family member with health issues or for health issues of their own. Employees can also take FMLA to cover time away from work in the event of childbirth, adoption, or foster care of a child. This law has strict restrictions and carries serious consequences for businesses that violate or interfere with its policies. In a recent case, an employee filed suit against her company, alleging retaliation because she sent an email indicating she wanted to request time off. The employee has previously used FMLA leave and knew the proper procedure for requesting FMLA leave. The manager responded favorably to the email, but 4 days later she was reassigned to a lower paying position. The employee then filed a lawsuit due to retaliation resulting from the leave. The 11th Circuit upheld the lower court's ruling in the case, based on the fact that the employee knew what the policy...... middle of paper ...... to the foundry's pension funds Cast Iron Company of Iowa and Michigan Manufacturer (13 -1090-ATL). Retrieved from website: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/ebsa/EBSA20131090.htmJurrens-Sudkamp, ​​E. (2009). Cobra Serious Misconduct Exception: Compliance Strategies in the Face of Uncertainty. Labor Lawyer, 24(3), 399-428. Milkovich, G., Newman, J., and Gerhart, B. (2014). Compensation. (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Needham, N. (January 8, 2013). Cms employees may have compromised identities. Retrieved from http://www.wbtv.com/story/20533847/cms-employees-may-have-identities-compromised Tatum, R. (2013). Legal Alert: Employers should be aware of the risks of unexpected FMLA liability. Venulex Legal Summaries, 1-3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (nd).Summary of the hipaa Privacy Policy. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/