@gingerw & @IndianaScott, thanks for the recommendations. Honesty and candor is the only way I approach all serious matters so I see I'm in good company. It seems the protections that FMLA are supposed to afford me have actually put me in the crosshairs. My business is family owned and the CEO is actually a cancer survivor so this unsympathetic stance seems so odd. The ownership has jumped through so many hoops to keep several less dedicated employees onboard but that doesn't apparently apply to me. Time theft is also rampant here so it's especially painful when I ask for so little and get nothing. There is a small component that requires me to be on-site, although the 5 required hours daily is totally arbitrary and unnecessary. I've been on this schedule for a couple of weeks now and guess what I do? Right. I sit in my office and do my work (I'm essentially a 1 person dept.) Most recently last week a member of my team was approved to work from home 100% due to her children were in the same school system as 2 others that were tested positive for covid-19, although they attended different schools. Very frustrating considering children are not considered at high risk for this illness but my wife certainly is.
It's clear from both of your responses that I will have to state my case as succinctly as possible to the ownership. The facts are definitely in my favor but i know I will not be prepared to accept anything from anyone if it doesn't make sense for my wifes long term health. With her prognosis I absolutely can't risk her getting sick with this. Thanks again for listening. You've both given me some solid ideas to consider before meeting with the owners.