Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 29, 2015

13

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, August 29, 2015 

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


ARE YOU ENTITLED 
TO UNPAID TIME OFF 
WITHOUT RISKING YOUR 
JOB?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) 
may provide unpaid time off due to the serious 
health condition of an employee or an employee’s 
immediate family member. Only certain employers, 
however, known as “covered employers,” are 
required to comply with this law. Additionally, 
employees must meet certain requirements before 
they are entitled to the leave. This 
article will guide you to know whether you are 
entitled to unpaid time off without risking your 
job.

Employer Requirements 

Only employers who are considered “covered” 
under federal law must comply. Public agencies 
are all covered, as are elementary and secondary 
schools. However, private employers are only 
covered by the FMLA if all of the following apply:

Employed at least 50 employees

In 20 or more workweeks

In the current or preceding calendar year

If your employer doesn’t meet these requirements, 
you are not entitled to unpaid leave and if you take 
unapproved time off, your job could be at risk.

Employee Requirements

When FMLA leave is requested for an employee 
or an immediate family member, the qualifying 
health condition must be considered “serious.” 
This means that the affected person either requires 
inpatient care or a continuing course of treatment. 
In addition, an employee must meet the following 
requirements:

Worked for a covered employer

For at least 1,250 hours

In the prior 12 months

At a location where the employer has at least 50 
employees within 75 miles

Does not qualify as a “key” employee

The Protections

Once these requirements are met, an employee 
may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, as long 
as proper, timely documentation is provided. An 
employer may require an eligible employee to 
submit a certification from a health care provider to 
support the request for FMLA leave. The employer 
may also require additional medical opinions, at its 
own expense.

 If the need for leave is foreseeable, the request for 
FMLA leave must be submitted 30 days in advance. 
If the need is not foreseeable, the request must be 
provided as soon as possible and practicable. An 
employer may require an employee to substitute 
paid leave to cover part or all of the 12-week period.

FMLA leave may be taken all at once, intermittently, 
or on a reduced schedule. For example, one 
employee may need to take off eight weeks after 
the birth of a baby; another may need to take 
leave from time to time for migraine headaches or 
cancer treatments. 

 The employer must continue existing group 
health care coverage during the period of leave. 
The employer may also request recertification at 
reasonable intervals. At the end of the leave, the 
employee must be placed in his or her former job 
or one that is substantially equivalent.

 One of the ways we support our family of clients 
is by being the trusted legal advisor they can turn 
to no matter what comes their way. If you are not 
yet part of our client family and would like to have 
a trusted advisor by your side, consider starting 
with a Family Estate Planning Session. We will 
guide you to be more financially and personally 
organized than you’ve possibly ever been before. 
We will answer all your questions. We will 
empower you to choose the best path forward for 
your family. Your Family Estate Planning Session 
is complimentary when you mention this article.

 Dedicated to your family’s wealth, health, and 
happiness,

A local attorney and father, Marc 
Garlett is on a mission to help 
parents protect what they love most. His office is located 
at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. 
Schedule an appointment to sit down and talk about 
ensuring a legacy of love and financial security for your 
family by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.GarlettLaw.
com for more information.

LEVERAGE A WACKY HOLIDAY

If you need a fun marketing campaign idea for 
the month of September, why not leverage an off-
beat holiday. We found a site that lists all kinds 
of wacky holidays at mentalfloss.com/section/
weird-holidays. 

September 10th is TV Dinner Day.

September 15th is National Felt Hat Day. 

September 18th is Rice Krispies Treats Day. I know 
right?

 If you can’t find a holiday that ties into your 
business, make one up!

September 12th is Mountain View News Day.

 Turn a wacky holiday into a fun campaign for 
your business. For example, September 4th is Eat 
and Extra Dessert Day? If you own a restaurant or a 
bakery, you could design a whole campaign around 
this. Offer an extra dessert for an extra 50% off in 
honor of this well-known and important holiday. 
Posts fun dessert pictures on Social Media. Ask 
people to share pictures of their extra desserts.

 Have fun with your marketing campaigns and 
you might just stand out in the crowd.

 About MJ: MJ and her brother David own 
HUTdogs, a creative services business that 
specializes in Internet Marketing Campaigns and 
Social Media. Find them on Facebook at www.
facebook.com/hutdogs.

Sign up for their upcoming classes, webinars and 
presentations at: www.hutdogs.com/workshops/
schedule 


HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

 
THE JOY OF YOGA

 WHY HOLD?


As you’ve probably 
found, there are 
many different types 
of yoga classes. Some 
classes have a lot of 
poses, while others 
may have less. The pace at which the class flows can vary 
greatly. I’ve attended classes where it felt like I was tossed 
around in a windstorm, non-stop movement, with very 
few stopping points. It was hard to keep up. Alternately, 
I’ve experienced a lovely flow class that had incorporated 
longer holds into the poses. The effect produced by this 
was the exact opposite of a windstorm! It felt warm, solid, 
and energizing all at the same time. 

 There are a few reasons why we prefer to hold poses for 
a bit in class. First, we are able to find our alignment in the 
pose. Each supporting muscle can engage, we can line up 
our legs, hips, belly, arms, head and hands. Additionally, 
after we make our physical adjustments, we can settle into 
our breath and simply experience the pose. The mind will 
want to tell us to come out; we may have an itch, clothing 
adjustment or any myriad of other reasons. It’s hard to 
stay! 

 Secondly, performing poses with longer holds creates 
stability for the mind. Through practicing one-pointed 
focus, we begin to train the mind. It’s this focused 
concentration that builds strength, stability and stamina. 
We often joke that we’re “building character” as we hold a 
pose. This is so true. We hold steady in midst of challenge. 
Additionally, our heightened awareness not only 
empowers us, but it assists us toning our energetic body as 
well. We become aware, balanced, and self-regulating. 

 Ultimately, we stay in the pose for the benefits. Our 
physical body benefits from the muscular engagement 
and cardiovascular workout. Our mind body and 
energetic bodies are simultaneously enlivened, toned and 
stabilized. Granted, there are poses that you don’t want to 
hold indefinitely, but most of the standing poses and even 
cool down poses that release tension are best held. Start 
with 4 breaths, working on smooth and steady inhales and 
exhales, then work up to 6-8 breaths for more stamina. 
Advanced practitioners may take up to 12 breaths in a 
pose. 

See you in class. 

Namaste and Love, 

Keely Totten


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com