Tennessee § 50-1-307 - Volunteer firefighters — Rights against termination.

§ 50-1-307. Volunteer firefighters — Rights against termination.

No employer shall terminate an employee who is a volunteer firefighter solely because the employee, when acting as a volunteer firefighter, is absent or late to the employee's employment in order to respond to an emergency prior to the time the employee is to report to employee's place of employment. An employer may charge against the employee's regular pay any time that an employee who is a volunteer firefighter loses from employment because of the employee's response to an emergency. An employer has the right to request an employee who loses time from the employee's employment to respond to an emergency to provide the employer with a written statement from the supervisor or acting supervisor of the volunteer fire department stating that the employee responded to an emergency and list the time and date of the emergency. Any employee who is absent or late to the employee's employment in order to respond to an emergency shall make a reasonable effort to notify the employee's employer that the employee may be absent or late. Any employee terminated in violation of this section may bring a civil action against the employee's employer. The employee may seek reinstatement to the employee's former position, payment of back wages, reinstatement of fringe benefits, and where seniority rights are granted, the reinstatement of seniority rights. The employee has one (1) year from the date of a violation of this section to file an action. Acts 2003, ch. 148, § 1. Law Reviews. The Law at Work: Volunteer Firefighter Paid Leave (Edward G. Phillips), 44 Tenn. B.J. 37 (2008).