# Can my boss fire me for helping a coworker with their leave claim?

- Jurisdiction: United States
- Practice area: Employment Law
- Published: 2026-10-29
- Last updated: 2026-10-29
- Canonical: https://lawasked.com/us/employment-law/can-my-boss-fire-me-helping-coworker-their

## Question

I work at a large retail warehouse in Ohio, and I have been there for about three years. Everything was fine until last month when a coworker of mine, who has been with the company for five years, requested a long-term leave of absence to deal with a serious medical issue. Since I am a shift lead, the HR manager called me into a private office on October 12th and asked me to provide a written statement confirming that my coworker's absences were indeed due to their medical condition and not just poor performance. I complied and gave them the detailed statement they asked for. However, since that meeting, my supervisor has been acting very strange. Yesterday, October 25th, I was pulled aside and told that my recent productivity numbers were 'unacceptable' and that my job might be at risk, even though my performance reviews have always been excellent. I already tried talking to my direct supervisor to ask why my evaluation suddenly changed, but they just brushed me off and told me to focus on my work. I am really worried that I am being targeted or pushed out because I helped my friend with their medical paperwork. Am I protected from being fired or treated differently just because I gave information to HR during their internal investigation?

## Summary

Yes, you may be protected from being fired or treated differently. Under federal law, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against you because you provided information regarding a coworker's medical leave inquiry.

## Analysis

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), you have protections if you participate in matters related to medical leave. Specifically, the law states it "shall be unlawful for any person to discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any individual because such individual... has given, or is about to give, any information in connection with any inquiry or proceeding relating to any right provided under this subchapter" [1]. This means that because you provided a written statement to the HR manager on October 12th regarding your coworker's medical condition and leave, your employer cannot legally fire you or treat you poorly (discrimination) simply because you provided that information [1].

In your case, you are reporting a sudden change in how you are treated. After you complied with the HR request, your supervisor began claiming your productivity was "unacceptable," despite your history of excellent reviews. If this sudden change in your performance evaluation is a direct result of you helping with the medical leave inquiry, it could be considered unlawful discrimination [1].

However, the law does not prevent an employer from firing an employee for legitimate, non-retaliatory reasons. It is currently uncertain if your supervisor's sudden criticism is a direct retaliation for your statement or if there are other business reasons for the change in your evaluation. To prove retaliation, you would need to show a link between your October 12th statement and the October 25th warning regarding your productivity.

## Statutory citations

- Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. § 2615 - Prohibited acts [in force] (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title29-section2615)
  > It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any individual because such individual— ... (2) has given, or is about to give, any information in connection with any inquiry or proceeding relating to any right provided under this subchapter
- Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. § 2615 - Prohibited acts [in force] (https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title29-section2615)
  > It shall be unlawful for any employer to... discriminate against any individual for opposing any practice made unlawful by this subchapter.

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