Pretty much everybody understands how FMLA leave works — it’s designed to allow employees to take time off to deal with serious medical conditions. Just one caveat: If you want the leave, you can’t lie about what you’re suffering from.

Check out this recent case out of Pennsylvania:

Sears employee John Prigge had bipolar disorder but had never told his supervisors or anyone at the firm.

After working for the company for five years without a problem, Prigge began to feel ill, missing work and frequently leaving early due to his condition.

Instead of telling the truth, Prigge told his supervisors that he was absent because he was receiving radiation treatment for prostate cancer.

After missing a week of work due to his disorder, however, Prigge came clean and told Sears the reason for his absences.

Sears fired him for lying, but Prigge sued, claiming the company violated his FMLA rights. The court disagreed, saying that Prigge misrepresented his illness, and therefore wasn’t covered.

The ironic part: Prigge would have been covered if he’d told the truth, the court said.

Cite: Prigge v. Sears Holding Corp. To read the full opinion, go here.

Tags: court decisions, John Prigge, Prigge v. Sears Holding Corp.