WRONGFUL TERMINATION: Man Fired after Wife is Diagnosed with Cancer

June 16, 2011

Los Angeles – A man whose wife was diagnosed with a fatal cancer has been fired by his boss after asking for a modified schedule, reports said.

The man, Carl Sorabella, said that it began with a phone call from his wife’s doctor. He broke down after receiving the news and his boss drove him out of the office, he added.

Carl then stopped by the company a few days after only to find out that he was being laid off after trying to explain to his boss about his schedule request. His wife, Kathy Sorabella, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, employers who employ a total of 50 or more workers must give up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for immediate family members who are seriously ill. Employers who have than 50 workers are exempted.

Sorabella’s firm, Haynes Management, is estimated to have 20 employees. Lawyers consulted by the couple also affirmed the right of the company to fire him since the FMLA does not cover them.

The couple, however, does not plan to give up their fight despite of the low chance of gaining compensation.