(A) An employer may grant paid leaves of absence to an employee who seeks to undergo a medical procedure to donate bone marrow. As used in this section, "employer" means a person or entity that employs twenty or more employees at least at one site within this State and includes an individual, corporation, partnership, association, nonprofit organization, group of persons, state, county, city, or other governmental subdivision. "Employee" means a person who performs services for hire for an employer for an average of twenty or more hours a week and includes all individuals employed at a site owned or operated by an employer but does not include an independent contractor.
(B) The combined length of paid leaves of absence requested by an employee must be determined by the employee but may not exceed forty work hours unless the employer agrees to a longer period of time. The employer may require verification by a physician of the purpose and length of each paid leave of absence requested by the employee to donate bone marrow. If there is a medical determination that the employee does not qualify as a bone marrow donor, the paid leave of absence granted to the employee before that medical determination is not forfeited.
(C) An employer may not retaliate against an employee for requesting or obtaining a paid leave of absence as provided by this section.
(D) This section does not prevent an employer from providing a paid leave of absence for bone marrow donations in addition to leave allowed under this section. This section does not affect an employee's rights with respect to any other employment benefit.
HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 505, Section 1; 2006 Act No. 334, Section 1, eff June 2, 2006.