The Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA“) medical leave protects your job. Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) protects your right to reasonable accommodation. But if you cannot perform the central function of your position when leave ends, can your employer terminate you without violating the FMLA or the ADA? Is it retaliation or wrongful termination?
That was the issue in Craige Robinson v. Mountaire Farms of North Carolina Corp., 2026 WL 297172 4th Cir. Feb. 4, 2026. Craige Robinson worked as a rehang supervisor in a chicken-processing plant. After being shot outside of work, he took FMLA medical leave for surgery and recovery. When his leave expired, his doctor restricted him to sedentary work only, no use of his left arm, lifting no more than five pounds, and limited standing or walking with mandatory rest breaks. His job required walking production lines seventy-five to eighty percent of each shift, lifting up to fifty pounds, climbing, bending, and managing a high-speed production floor with no seating.
Mountaire engaged in an interactive process to explore accommodation. It ultimately determined he could not perform the essential functions of the job and terminated him.
He sued for disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, and wrongful termination.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the employer.
Let’s break this down a bit.
Is It FMLA Retaliation Or Wrongful Termination If I Cannot Perform The Essential Job Functions When My Medical Leave Ends?
The FMLA prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee for taking protected medical leave. An employer cannot terminate someone because they exercised FMLA rights.
But the FMLA does not guarantee indefinite job protection.
The Fourth Circuit made clear that the controlling question was not whether Robinson took medical leave. It was whether he was a “qualified individual” under the ADA when his employment ended.
The ADA defines a qualified individual as someone who “with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the employment position.” 42 U.S.C. § 12111(8).
The Court held that the record “reflects that Robinson was unable to perform the essential functions of the rehang supervisor position.” 2026 WL 297172 at *4.
That finding matters because retaliation requires proof of motive. An employer violates the FMLA if it terminates an employee to retaliate for medical leave. It does not violate the FMLA simply because leave ends and the employer fires the employee because the employee cannot perform the job.
The Court held that Mountaire did not retaliate for FMLA use but had no obligation to keep an employee that could not perform the job. That distinction separates lawful termination from FMLA retaliation.
Practical Tip: If you believe your employer plans to retaliate after medical leave, document comments showing hostility toward your leave. Retaliation cases turn on proof that the employer chose to retaliate — not simply that leave expired.
Best FMLA Attorney Blogs on Point:
What Does The ADA Require During The Interactive Process?
When an employee has medical restrictions, the ADA requires an employer to engage in an interactive process to determine whether a reasonable accommodation would allow the employee to perform essential functions. This means looking both the employees conditions and the job’s requirements. Failure to do either would be a violation of the ADA.
The Fourth Circuit noted that Mountaire and Robinson engaged in “multiple exchanges…to determine what medical restrictions were necessary and whether it would be possible to accommodate those restrictions.” 2026 WL 297172 at *2. Mountaire provided a written list of the job’s physical demands. Robinson’s doctor reaffirmed strict limits: no ladders, no use of left arm, no lifting over five pounds, sedentary work, and limited standing. Plant leadership and human resources concluded that Mountaire “could not reasonably accommodate Robinson in the rehang supervisor position” and that no vacant position fit his restrictions. Id.
The biggest problem for the employee is that doctor did not suggest more time off as a further accommodation, and his lawyers may not have argued that the employer’s failure to evaluate more time off as a potential accommodation was a violation of the interactive process. Doing so may have made a difference.
Practical Tip: Ask your employer for a written list of essential functions. Compare those duties carefully to your medical restrictions. The details often determine whether an accommodation is legally required.
Best Disability Discrimination Lawyer Blogs on Point:
What Happens If You Cannot Perform The Essential Or Central Function Of The Job?
This is where FMLA and the ADA intersect.
The FMLA provides medical leave when a medical condition prevents you from doing the job. The ADA governs what happens when you return.
The Court emphasized that the “qualified individual” analysis focuses on the employee’s ability “at the time of the employment decision.” 2026 WL 297172 at *4.
Robinson testified that he spent seventy-five to eighty percent of his shift walking production lines. The plant floor had no seating. The environment required mobility, supervision, and physical presence. His restrictions limited him to sedentary work, minimal lifting, no ladder use, and strict limits on standing and walking.
The mismatch was direct.
Because he could not perform the essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation, the Court affirmed summary judgment. It concluded he “was therefore not a ‘qualified individual’ when his employment was terminated.” Id. That ruling defeated both the disability discrimination and failure-to-accommodate claims.
This does not mean employers can automatically terminate employees after medical leave. They cannot retaliate. They cannot exaggerate job requirements. They cannot ignore available vacant roles. They cannot avoid the interactive process. But the ADA does not require an employer to retain an employee who cannot perform the central function of the job even with accommodation.
That is the legal boundary.
Best Workplace Disability Accommodation Law Firm Blogs on Point:
Practical Tip: If you are facing termination after medical leave, analyze whether the disputed duty is truly essential or merely convenient. Courts look closely at that distinction.
Looking For An Employment Law Attorney After FMLA Or ADA Termination?
If your employer terminated you after FMLA medical leave, refused accommodation, failed to engage in the interactive process, or retaliated against you for asserting disability rights, you need experienced counsel.
Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm focuses exclusively on protecting employees. We understand how FMLA medical leave and ADA accommodation cases overlap. We know how employers frame “essential functions” and how to challenge exaggerated job descriptions.
We offer free initial consultations and a no-fee guarantee. Our employment law attorneys have extensive trial experience in wrongful termination, disability discrimination, and retaliation cases.
If you are unsure whether your termination was lawful or discriminatory, speak with an employment law attorney who represents employees — not employers.
Call Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm today.
Employment Lawyer Disclaimer
This employee’s rights blog provides general information about FMLA, medical leave, disability discrimination, accommodation, the interactive process, retaliation, and wrongful termination under employment law. It is not legal advice.
Every case depends on specific facts. Whether an employer violated the FMLA, failed to provide reasonable accommodation under the ADA, or engaged in retaliation requires individualized legal analysis by a qualified employment law attorney or discrimination lawyer.
No promises are being made about results. This blog is a legal advertisement. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.
If you believe your employer may have retaliated, failed to accommodate, or wrongfully terminated you after medical leave, consult a qualified employment law attorney about your situation.