Tag: Model Answer

Assignment Prompt & Instructions

SEE ATTACHED

– 2 years ago

**files (3)**

– ## GradDiscussionRubric.pdf

– ## Diswk4homeworklaw.docx

– ## APA_RequiredCoverPage_and_Template_7thed8.docx

**## GradDiscussionRubric.pdf**

TCOB Graduate Studies Discussion Rubric

Criteria No Submission

0 points

Novice
(Criterion is missing or not

in evidence)
1-13 points

Basic
(works towards meeting

expectations;
performance needs

improvement)
14-16 points

Proficient
(meets expectations;

performance is satisfactory)
17-18 points

Exemplary
(exceeds expectations;

performance is outstanding)
19-20 points

Support of
Week's Reading

No Student
Submission
(0 points)

Does not refer to the
readings to support postings

(1-13 points)

Alludes to the readings
to support postings

(14-16 points)

Refers to examples from the
readings to support postings

(17-18 points)

Provides concrete examples from
the readings to support postings;

integrates prior readings in
postings

(19-20 points)

Observations No Student
Submission
(0 points)

Does not integrate personal
observations or knowledge;

does not present new
observations
(1-13 points)

Integrates personal
observations and

knowledge in a cursory
manner; does not

present new
observations

(14-16 points)

Integrates personal
observations and knowledge
in an accurate way; presents

new observations
(17-18 points)

Integrates personal observations
and knowledge in an accurate and

highly insightful way; presents
new observations

(19-20 points)

Response to
Classmates

No Student
Submission

(0 points)

Responds in a cursory
manner to classmates’

postings
(1-13 points)

Constructively responds
to classmates’ postings

(14-16 points)

Constructively responds to
classmates’ postings; offers

insight that encourages other
students to think critically

about their own work.
(17-18 points)

Constructively responds to
classmates’ postings; masterfully
connects the material presented
in classmates’ postings to their

responses; encourages classmates
to think critically about their own

work.
(19-20 points)

Organization,
Word Choice,
and Sentence

Structure

No Student
Submission

(0 points)

Posts are disorganized and
information is not presented
in a logical sequence; word

choice and sentence
structure are not suitable

(1-13 points)

Posts are somewhat
disorganized, and
information is not

presented in a logical
sequence; word choice
and sentence structure

are not suitable
(14-16 points)

Posts are organized, and
information is presented in a

logical sequence; word
choice and sentence

structure are suitable; there
are a few errors; however,

errors do not affect
readability.

(17-18 points)

Posts are organized and
information is presented in a

logical sequence; word choice and
sentence structure are suitable;

no errors in the response.
(19-20 points)

References No Student
Submission

(0 points)

Includes no sources to
support conclusions

(1-13 points)

Includes 1 outside
source to support and
enrich the discussion;

Includes 2 or more outside
sources to support and
enrich the discussion;

sources are properly cited in

Includes 2 or more outside
sources to support and enrich the
discussion; sources are cited using

APA format; style guidelines are

TCOB Graduate Studies Discussion Rubric

sources are not properly
cited in APA format

(14-16 points)

APA format and are properly
integrated into the discussion

response
(17-18 points)

masterfully integrated into the
discussion response.

(19-20 points)

**## Diswk4homeworklaw.docx**

**Please respond to the discussion question below using and citing scholarly references in APA format.**

**Family and Medical Leave Act**

Ryan's Express is a dry-cleaning establishment with 47 employees working in six stores. Maggie Brown's mother must undergo triple bypass surgery. Brown applies for medical leave under the FMLA to care for her mother when she is released from the hospital. Brown's request is denied.

**1A**. How would you advise her to proceed?

\*\*\**************************************************************************************

**2.) **Please respond to the 2 peers using your views on the topic.**

**Cite 2 scholarly references in APA format.**

**KW:** Maggie Brown may not qualify for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) because her employer, Ryan’s Express, doesn’t meet the coverage requirements. The FMLA only applies to employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius, and since Ryan’s Express has only 47 employees, it falls short of this threshold, making Brown ineligible for FMLA protection (Moran, 2014; CRS, 2012; U.S. DOL, n.d.).

The 50-employee threshold wasn’t set arbitrarily; lawmakers designed it to balance employee access to job-protected leave with the operational challenges faced by small businesses. The assumption was that larger companies would have more resources and flexibility to manage temporary worker absences without significant operational disruption (CRS, 2012).

Even though Brown doesn’t qualify for FMLA, she still has some options. First, she should check whether Ryan’s Express offers any alternative leave policies. Some companies provide unpaid leave, flexible work arrangements, or even additional benefits beyond what the FMLA requires (DOL, n.d.). Reviewing the employee handbook or talking to HR could help her determine if there are any company-specific policies she can use.

Another possibility is looking into state laws. Some states have family and medical leave laws that offer broader coverage than the FMLA, including lower employee thresholds for qualifying employers. This means that even employees of smaller businesses may be eligible for leave. Additionally, certain states have implemented paid family and medical leave programs that apply to employers of all sizes, expanding access to benefits. To check eligibility, employees should consult their state’s labor department or visit trusted resources like the National Conference of State Legislatures, which provides a comprehensive overview of state-specific laws (
americanprogress, 2024; NCSL, 2024).

If none of these options work, Brown might want to have a direct conversation with her manager. Explaining her situation and exploring possible solutions—such as vacation or sick leave—could lead to a compromise that works for both her and the company (DOL, n.d.). Employers sometimes offer informal accommodations, especially for valued employees, so open communication is key.

References:
Center for American Progress. (2024, January 17).
_The state of paid family and medical leave in the U.S. in 2024_.
[https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-state-of-paid-family-and-medical-leave-in-the-u-s-in-2024/](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-state-of-paid-family-and-medical-leave-in-the-u-s-in-2024/)

Congressional Research Service. (2012).
_The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): An Overview_ (CRS Report No. R42758). Retrieved from
[https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R42758.pdf](https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R42758.pdf)

Moran, J. J. (2014).
_Employment law: New challenges in the business environment_(7th ed.). Pearson.

National Conference of State Legislatures. (2024, August 21).
_State family and medical leave laws_.
[https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-family-and-medical-leave-laws](https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-family-and-medical-leave-laws)

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.).
_The Family and Medical Leave Act, the ADA, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964._ Retrieved from
[https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/family-and-medical-leave-act-ada-and-title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964](https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/family-and-medical-leave-act-ada-and-title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964)

**LW:** The Family and Medical Leave Act, also known as FMLA, can provide certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. This act also requires that the employee’s group health benefits be maintained while out of work on FMLA (Moran,2014).

Further stipulations for an employee to be eligible for this leave include that the employee has worked for the employer for at least 1,250 hours over 12 months with the organization, have a qualifying event (i.e. the birth, adoption, or placement of a child to the employee, medical leave for a serious medical issue, or to care for an immediate family member with a serious medical issue), and it applies to all public organizations, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, or companies with 50 more employees (US DOL).

Understanding FMLA guidelines and when they can be applied can get complicated, so it is important to understand what your rights are. Maggie needing to care for her mother is a qualifying event that could potentially mean Maggie could use FMLA. However, she was denied but the reason for the denial was not stated. She could have been denied because Ryan’s Express has less than 50 employees or because Maggie has not worked the minimum required hours of 1,250 over 12 months. The first thing I would suggest Maggie do is contact someone in Human Resources and verify eligibility, seek clarification on the reason or reasons she was denied, and see if there is an appeal process. If it is found that she does not qualify under FMLA, either because the company is not obligated to allow it or because she has not worked there the required time, Maggie can always ask about using any leave that she has built up to take off and care for her mother. If she still believes she is eligible for FMLA and the leave is denied after an appeal, she can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor and find out if there is any more action, she can take.

**References**

Moran, J. (2014).
**_Employment Law: New challenges in the business environment_** (6th ed.). Pearson.

Swartz Swidler, LLC (n.d.). Can FMLA be denied? Swartz Swidler.
[**https://swartz-legal.com/can-fmla-be-denied/**](https://swartz-legal.com/can-fmla-be-denied/)

U.S. Department of Labor (n.d.). Family and Medical Leave (FMLA). U.S. Department of Labor.
[**https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/benefits-leave/fmla**](https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/benefits-leave/fmla)

**## APA_RequiredCoverPage_and_Template_7thed8.docx**

SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS 1

SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS 1

**Your Paper’s Title: Title Is Centered and Bold, Three or Four Lines Down**

LEAVE A BLANK SPACE

## Your Name

**Donald R. Tapia College of Business, Saint Leo University**
Course Number and Name, e.g. DBA701: Doctoral Success Lab

Your Professor’s Name, e.g. Professor Waddell

Assignment Due Date, e.g. January 21, 2020

**Graduate Studies in Business Academic Honesty Statement**

My signature entered below constitutes my pledge that all the writing in this document is my own work, except for those portions which are properly documented and cited. I understand and accept the following definition of plagiarism:

1. Plagiarism includes the literal repetition without acknowledgment of the writings of another author. All significant phrases, clauses, or passages in this paper which have been taken directly from source material have been enclosed in quotation marks and acknowledged in the text itself as well as on the Reference page.

2. Plagiarism includes borrowing another’s ideas and representing them as my own.

3. To paraphrase the thoughts of another writer without acknowledgement is plagiarism.

4. Plagiarism also includes inadequate paraphrasing. Paraphrased passages (those put into my own words) have been properly acknowledged in the text and in the references.

5. Plagiarism includes using another person or organization to prepare this paper and then submitting it as my own work.

6. Plagiarism includes resubmitting my own previous work, in whole, or in part for a current assignment without the written consent of the current instructor.

**Saint Leo University’s core value of integrity** requires that students pledge to be honest, just, and consistent in word and deed. I fully understand what plagiarism is, and I further understand that if plagiarism is detected in my paper, my professor will follow the procedures for academic dishonesty set forth by Saint Leo University, the Donald R. Tapia College of Business and the Graduate Student Handbook.

**Student Signature: [Type Full Name Here]**

**Abstract [Centered, Bold]**

Start the abstract flush with the left margin; do not indent. According to the
_Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association_(APA), “An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the paper” (APA, 2020, p. 38). It allows readers to survey the contents of an article quickly and, like a title, it enables persons interested in the document to retrieve it from abstracting and indexing databases. The first line of the abstract is not indented. An abstract may range from 150 to 250 words (APA, 2020). Because an abstract is not always required for student papers, adhere to your instructor’s requirements.

_Keywords:_ Follow the abstract with a selection of keywords that describe the important ideas or subjects in your paper. These help online readers search for your paper in a database.

The keyword list should have its first line indented 0.5 inches. keywords are written in lowercase (except for proper nouns) and separated by commas. Do not place a period at the end of the list.

****Title of Your Paper [Centered, Bold]****
Begin your paper on the next double-spaced line after the title, and indent all paragraphs 1/2 inch. In the updated manual on p. 154, writers are asked to include only
**one space** between sentences rather than two spaces. When writing in APA style, you have two choices for in-text citations: narrative citations or parenthetical citations. According to a fictitious book by Harding and Jiménez (2020), a narrative citation occurs when you include “authors’ names as part of your sentence” (p. 24). Furthermore, Harding and Jiménez (2020) explain that you only need to provide a page number at the end of a narrative citation when directly quoting from the source. If the authors’ names do not appear in your sentence, you will use a “parenthetical citation” (Harding & Jiménez, 2020, p. 24). Similar to the above example, you only need to include a page number when quoting the authors’ original words (Harding & Jiménez, 2020). The APA manual summarizes these rules and related concepts on pp. 261-264.

**All Headings Are Bold and Written in Title Case (Level 1, Bold, Centered)**

You can read more about formatting section headings in the APA manual on pp. 47-49. Not included in this template is a level 5 heading, which is virtually identical to a level 4 heading, except it is italicized. According to the APA (2020), “The number of levels of heading needed for a paper depends on its length and complexity; three is average. … [S]hort student papers may not require any headings” (p. 48).

**New Rules for Citations (Level 2, Bold, Left Justified)**

**_First Rule_(Level 3, Flush Left, Italicized, Bold, No Punctuation)**

Begin indented paragraph on the next line.
A couple of important new rules concerning in-text citations appear in the APA manual. The first pertains to citing works by three or more authors. Instead of writing each author’s name in the first citation, then utilizing the abbreviation “et al.” for all subsequent citations, the APA advises writers to use the “et al.” abbreviation for
_every_ in-text citation for works by three or more authors. For example, my first in-text citation for a work by three authors would look like this (Harris et al., 2020). This new guideline reduces the amount of clutter created by listing each author’s name. You can read more about the use of “et al.” on p. 266 of the APA manual.

**_Second Rule_**

The other significant change to in-text citation formatting has to do with repeating narrative citations. For example, if I am writing a paragraph focused specifically on the work of Brown (2016), I would need to provide the year in parenthesis only after the
_first_ reference to Brown. As you can see, I could write more about the groundbreaking work of Brown without cluttering my paragraph with multiple in-text citations containing the year. However, if I am referencing more than one work by Brown, I must provide a complete in-text citation after
_each_ reference to Brown. That way, my reader won’t be confused. I would also need to provide the year in any parenthetical citation referencing the author (Brown, 2016). This new rule is described on pp. 265-266 in the APA manual.

**Similar Rule. (Level 4, Indented, Plain Text, Begins Paragraph, Punctuated)** In a similar vein, if I am writing a long paraphrase of a single work, I need to provide only one in-text citation at the beginning of the paragraph as long as “the context of the writing makes it clear that the same work continues to be paraphrased” (APA, 2020, p. 269). In other words, I could continue to write more about how the manual provides a helpful figure of this rule on p. 270. I would not need to provide a citation when telling you that if the paraphrase is long enough to warrant the creation of a new paragraph, you will need to provide an in-text citation at the top of the new paragraph. As you can see, I am still discussing the APA manual in a specific context, so I am not required to cite the manual again in this paragraph unless I introduce information from a new source. Even so, if you think your professor or reader might question where you found a certain piece of information, it won’t hurt to provide an extra citation or two.

**Punctuating In-Text Citations**

So far, you might have noticed that parenthetical citations typically appear
_before_ the sentence’s end punctuation, because the parenthetical citation is just another element belonging to the sentence. However, there is one specific instance when the parenthetical citation comes
_after_ the end punctuation. In the case of block quotations (a quotation of 40 words or more), you will introduce the quotation and demarcate it using special indentation:

Pretend that this is the beginning of the block quotation. First, notice that this long quotation is not surrounded by marks. It is the
_only_ time in your paper where you will quote something without using quotation marks. Next, the quotation is indented 1/2 inch from the left, and it’s left-justified, meaning that the quote’s left margin forms a straight line up and down. Last but not least, you will provide the parenthetical citation
_after_ the end punctuation (and because it’s a direct quotation, you will include the page number). Use block quotes sparingly. (Harding, 2020, p. 49)

If the original paragraph continues after the quotation, begin on the next double-spaced line, making sure that the line is flush left. If you want to begin a new paragraph after the block quotation, you will indent the new paragraph 1/2 inch from the left margin. Finally, if you include a narrative citation when introducing the block quote (i.e. “According to Harding (2020) …”), only include the page number in the parenthetical citation after the block quote. You can read more about these rules on pp. 272-273 of the APA manual.]

**References [Centered, Bold]**

Surname, A. A., & Surname B. B. (Year). Reference entry titles are written in sentence case: Sentence case titles for articles and shorter works are plain text and capitalized as if you were writing a sentence.
_Publication Name_,
_234_(2), 40-190.
[https://doi.org/12.029303](https://doi.org/12.029303) (Example of journal article with DOI. DOI should be formatted as an active hyperlink)

Surname, C. C. (Year).
_This is the title of a book about China and India: Notice that book titles and titles of longer works are italicized_. Publisher Name. (Example of book and e-book. Writers are no longer required to identify e-book platform (e.g. “Kindle”) or database (e.g. “EBSCO”). For e-books, provide a DOI or URL if one is available. Read more on p. 321 of the manual.)

REMOVE ALL YELLOW HIGHLIGHTS IF YOU USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A WORKABLE TEMPLATE!

| | | |
| — | — | — |
| | | |

**## APA_RequiredCoverPage_and_Template_7thed8.docx**

SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS 1

SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS 1

**Your Paper’s Title: Title Is Centered and Bold, Three or Four Lines Down**

LEAVE A BLANK SPACE

## Your Name

**Donald R. Tapia College of Business, Saint Leo University**
Course Number and Name, e.g. DBA701: Doctoral Success Lab

Your Professor’s Name, e.g. Professor Waddell

Assignment Due Date, e.g. January 21, 2020

**Graduate Studies in Business Academic Honesty Statement**

My signature entered below constitutes my pledge that all the writing in this document is my own work, except for those portions which are properly documented and cited. I understand and accept the following definition of plagiarism:

1. Plagiarism includes the literal repetition without acknowledgment of the writings of another author. All significant phrases, clauses, or passages in this paper which have been taken directly from source material have been enclosed in quotation marks and acknowledged in the text itself as well as on the Reference page.

2. Plagiarism includes borrowing another’s ideas and representing them as my own.

3. To paraphrase the thoughts of another writer without acknowledgement is plagiarism.

4. Plagiarism also includes inadequate paraphrasing. Paraphrased passages (those put into my own words) have been properly acknowledged in the text and in the references.

5. Plagiarism includes using another person or organization to prepare this paper and then submitting it as my own work.

6. Plagiarism includes resubmitting my own previous work, in whole, or in part for a current assignment without the written consent of the current instructor.

**Saint Leo University’s core value of integrity** requires that students pledge to be honest, just, and consistent in word and deed. I fully understand what plagiarism is, and I further understand that if plagiarism is detected in my paper, my professor will follow the procedures for academic dishonesty set forth by Saint Leo University, the Donald R. Tapia College of Business and the Graduate Student Handbook.

**Student Signature: [Type Full Name Here]**

**Abstract [Centered, Bold]**

Start the abstract flush with the left margin; do not indent. According to the
_Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association_(APA), “An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the paper” (APA, 2020, p. 38). It allows readers to survey the contents of an article quickly and, like a title, it enables persons interested in the document to retrieve it from abstracting and indexing databases. The first line of the abstract is not indented. An abstract may range from 150 to 250 words (APA, 2020). Because an abstract is not always required for student papers, adhere to your instructor’s requirements.

_Keywords:_ Follow the abstract with a selection of keywords that describe the important ideas or subjects in your paper. These help online readers search for your paper in a database.

The keyword list should have its first line indented 0.5 inches. keywords are written in lowercase (except for proper nouns) and separated by commas. Do not place a period at the end of the list.

****Title of Your Paper [Centered, Bold]****
Begin your paper on the next double-spaced line after the title, and indent all paragraphs 1/2 inch. In the updated manual on p. 154, writers are asked to include only
**one space** between sentences rather than two spaces. When writing in APA style, you have two choices for in-text citations: narrative citations or parenthetical citations. According to a fictitious book by Harding and Jiménez (2020), a narrative citation occurs when you include “authors’ names as part of your sentence” (p. 24). Furthermore, Harding and Jiménez (2020) explain that you only need to provide a page number at the end of a narrative citation when directly quoting from the source. If the authors’ names do not appear in your sentence, you will use a “parenthetical citation” (Harding & Jiménez, 2020, p. 24). Similar to the above example, you only need to include a page number when quoting the authors’ original words (Harding & Jiménez, 2020). The APA manual summarizes these rules and related concepts on pp. 261-264.

**All Headings Are Bold and Written in Title Case (Level 1, Bold, Centered)**

You can read more about formatting section headings in the APA manual on pp. 47-49. Not included in this template is a level 5 heading, which is virtually identical to a level 4 heading, except it is italicized. According to the APA (2020), “The number of levels of heading needed for a paper depends on its length and complexity; three is average. … [S]hort student papers may not require any headings” (p. 48).

**New Rules for Citations (Level 2, Bold, Left Justified)**

**_First Rule_(Level 3, Flush Left, Italicized, Bold, No Punctuation)**

Begin indented paragraph on the next line.
A couple of important new rules concerning in-text citations appear in the APA manual. The first pertains to citing works by three or more authors. Instead of writing each author’s name in the first citation, then utilizing the abbreviation “et al.” for all subsequent citations, the APA advises writers to use the “et al.” abbreviation for
_every_ in-text citation for works by three or more authors. For example, my first in-text citation for a work by three authors would look like this (Harris et al., 2020). This new guideline reduces the amount of clutter created by listing each author’s name. You can read more about the use of “et al.” on p. 266 of the APA manual.

**_Second Rule_**

The other significant change to in-text citation formatting has to do with repeating narrative citations. For example, if I am writing a paragraph focused specifically on the work of Brown (2016), I would need to provide the year in parenthesis only after the
_first_ reference to Brown. As you can see, I could write more about the groundbreaking work of Brown without cluttering my paragraph with multiple in-text citations containing the year. However, if I am referencing more than one work by Brown, I must provide a complete in-text citation after
_each_ reference to Brown. That way, my reader won’t be confused. I would also need to provide the year in any parenthetical citation referencing the author (Brown, 2016). This new rule is described on pp. 265-266 in the APA manual.

**Similar Rule. (Level 4, Indented, Plain Text, Begins Paragraph, Punctuated)** In a similar vein, if I am writing a long paraphrase of a single work, I need to provide only one in-text citation at the beginning of the paragraph as long as “the context of the writing makes it clear that the same work continues to be paraphrased” (APA, 2020, p. 269). In other words, I could continue to write more about how the manual provides a helpful figure of this rule on p. 270. I would not need to provide a citation when telling you that if the paraphrase is long enough to warrant the creation of a new paragraph, you will need to provide an in-text citation at the top of the new paragraph. As you can see, I am still discussing the APA manual in a specific context, so I am not required to cite the manual again in this paragraph unless I introduce information from a new source. Even so, if you think your professor or reader might question where you found a certain piece of information, it won’t hurt to provide an extra citation or two.

**Punctuating In-Text Citations**

So far, you might have noticed that parenthetical citations typically appear
_before_ the sentence’s end punctuation, because the parenthetical citation is just another element belonging to the sentence. However, there is one specific instance when the parenthetical citation comes
_after_ the end punctuation. In the case of block quotations (a quotation of 40 words or more), you will introduce the quotation and demarcate it using special indentation:

Pretend that this is the beginning of the block quotation. First, notice that this long quotation is not surrounded by marks. It is the
_only_ time in your paper where you will quote something without using quotation marks. Next, the quotation is indented 1/2 inch from the left, and it’s left-justified, meaning that the quote’s left margin forms a straight line up and down. Last but not least, you will provide the parenthetical citation
_after_ the end punctuation (and because it’s a direct quotation, you will include the page number). Use block quotes sparingly. (Harding, 2020, p. 49)

If the original paragraph continues after the quotation, begin on the next double-spaced line, making sure that the line is flush left. If you want to begin a new paragraph after the block quotation, you will indent the new paragraph 1/2 inch from the left margin. Finally, if you include a narrative citation when introducing the block quote (i.e. “According to Harding (2020) …”), only include the page number in the parenthetical citation after the block quote. You can read more about these rules on pp. 272-273 of the APA manual.]

**References [Centered, Bold]**

Surname, A. A., & Surname B. B. (Year). Reference entry titles are written in sentence case: Sentence case titles for articles and shorter works are plain text and capitalized as if you were writing a sentence.
_Publication Name_,
_234_(2), 40-190.
[https://doi.org/12.029303](https://doi.org/12.029303) (Example of journal article with DOI. DOI should be formatted as an active hyperlink)

Surname, C. C. (Year).
_This is the title of a book about China and India: Notice that book titles and titles of longer works are italicized_. Publisher Name. (Example of book and e-book. Writers are no longer required to identify e-book platform (e.g. “Kindle”) or database (e.g. “EBSCO”). For e-books, provide a DOI or URL if one is available. Read more on p. 321 of the manual.)

REMOVE ALL YELLOW HIGHLIGHTS IF YOU USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A WORKABLE TEMPLATE!

| | | |
| — | — | — |
| | | |

**## GradDiscussionRubric.pdf**

TCOB Graduate Studies Discussion Rubric

Criteria No Submission

0 points

Novice
(Criterion is missing or not

in evidence)
1-13 points

Basic
(works towards meeting

expectations;
performance needs

improvement)
14-16 points

Proficient
(meets expectations;

performance is satisfactory)
17-18 points

Exemplary
(exceeds expectations;

performance is outstanding)
19-20 points

Support of
Week's Reading

No Student
Submission
(0 points)

Does not refer to the
readings to support postings

(1-13 points)

Alludes to the readings
to support postings

(14-16 points)

Refers to examples from the
readings to support postings

(17-18 points)

Provides concrete examples from
the readings to support postings;

integrates prior readings in
postings

(19-20 points)

Observations No Student
Submission
(0 points)

Does not integrate personal
observations or knowledge;

does not present new
observations
(1-13 points)

Integrates personal
observations and

knowledge in a cursory
manner; does not

present new
observations

(14-16 points)

Integrates personal
observations and knowledge
in an accurate way; presents

new observations
(17-18 points)

Integrates personal observations
and knowledge in an accurate and

highly insightful way; presents
new observations

(19-20 points)

Response to
Classmates

No Student
Submission

(0 points)

Responds in a cursory
manner to classmates’

postings
(1-13 points)

Constructively responds
to classmates’ postings

(14-16 points)

Constructively responds to
classmates’ postings; offers

insight that encourages other
students to think critically

about their own work.
(17-18 points)

Constructively responds to
classmates’ postings; masterfully
connects the material presented
in classmates’ postings to their

responses; encourages classmates
to think critically about their own

work.
(19-20 points)

Organization,
Word Choice,
and Sentence

Structure

No Student
Submission

(0 points)

Posts are disorganized and
information is not presented
in a logical sequence; word

choice and sentence
structure are not suitable

(1-13 points)

Posts are somewhat
disorganized, and
information is not

presented in a logical
sequence; word choice
and sentence structure

are not suitable
(14-16 points)

Posts are organized, and
information is presented in a

logical sequence; word
choice and sentence

structure are suitable; there
are a few errors; however,

errors do not affect
readability.

(17-18 points)

Posts are organized and
information is presented in a

logical sequence; word choice and
sentence structure are suitable;

no errors in the response.
(19-20 points)

References No Student
Submission

(0 points)

Includes no sources to
support conclusions

(1-13 points)

Includes 1 outside
source to support and
enrich the discussion;

Includes 2 or more outside
sources to support and
enrich the discussion;

sources are properly cited in

Includes 2 or more outside
sources to support and enrich the
discussion; sources are cited using

APA format; style guidelines are

TCOB Graduate Studies Discussion Rubric

sources are not properly
cited in APA format

(14-16 points)

APA format and are properly
integrated into the discussion

response
(17-18 points)

masterfully integrated into the
discussion response.

(19-20 points)

**## Diswk4homeworklaw.docx**

**Please respond to the discussion question below using and citing scholarly references in APA format.**

**Family and Medical Leave Act**

Ryan's Express is a dry-cleaning establishment with 47 employees working in six stores. Maggie Brown's mother must undergo triple bypass surgery. Brown applies for medical leave under the FMLA to care for her mother when she is released from the hospital. Brown's request is denied.

**1A**. How would you advise her to proceed?

\*\*\**************************************************************************************

**2.) **Please respond to the 2 peers using your views on the topic.**

**Cite 2 scholarly references in APA format.**

**KW:** Maggie Brown may not qualify for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) because her employer, Ryan’s Express, doesn’t meet the coverage requirements. The FMLA only applies to employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius, and since Ryan’s Express has only 47 employees, it falls short of this threshold, making Brown ineligible for FMLA protection (Moran, 2014; CRS, 2012; U.S. DOL, n.d.).

The 50-employee threshold wasn’t set arbitrarily; lawmakers designed it to balance employee access to job-protected leave with the operational challenges faced by small businesses. The assumption was that larger companies would have more resources and flexibility to manage temporary worker absences without significant operational disruption (CRS, 2012).

Even though Brown doesn’t qualify for FMLA, she still has some options. First, she should check whether Ryan’s Express offers any alternative leave policies. Some companies provide unpaid leave, flexible work arrangements, or even additional benefits beyond what the FMLA requires (DOL, n.d.). Reviewing the employee handbook or talking to HR could help her determine if there are any company-specific policies she can use.

Another possibility is looking into state laws. Some states have family and medical leave laws that offer broader coverage than the FMLA, including lower employee thresholds for qualifying employers. This means that even employees of smaller businesses may be eligible for leave. Additionally, certain states have implemented paid family and medical leave programs that apply to employers of all sizes, expanding access to benefits. To check eligibility, employees should consult their state’s labor department or visit trusted resources like the National Conference of State Legislatures, which provides a comprehensive overview of state-specific laws (
americanprogress, 2024; NCSL, 2024).

If none of these options work, Brown might want to have a direct conversation with her manager. Explaining her situation and exploring possible solutions—such as vacation or sick leave—could lead to a compromise that works for both her and the company (DOL, n.d.). Employers sometimes offer informal accommodations, especially for valued employees, so open communication is key.

References:
Center for American Progress. (2024, January 17).
_The state of paid family and medical leave in the U.S. in 2024_.
[https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-state-of-paid-family-and-medical-leave-in-the-u-s-in-2024/](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-state-of-paid-family-and-medical-leave-in-the-u-s-in-2024/)

Congressional Research Service. (2012).
_The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): An Overview_ (CRS Report No. R42758). Retrieved from
[https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R42758.pdf](https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R42758.pdf)

Moran, J. J. (2014).
_Employment law: New challenges in the business environment_(7th ed.). Pearson.

National Conference of State Legislatures. (2024, August 21).
_State family and medical leave laws_.
[https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-family-and-medical-leave-laws](https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-family-and-medical-leave-laws)

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.).
_The Family and Medical Leave Act, the ADA, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964._ Retrieved from
[https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/family-and-medical-leave-act-ada-and-title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964](https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/family-and-medical-leave-act-ada-and-title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964)

**LW:** The Family and Medical Leave Act, also known as FMLA, can provide certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. This act also requires that the employee’s group health benefits be maintained while out of work on FMLA (Moran,2014).

Further stipulations for an employee to be eligible for this leave include that the employee has worked for the employer for at least 1,250 hours over 12 months with the organization, have a qualifying event (i.e. the birth, adoption, or placement of a child to the employee, medical leave for a serious medical issue, or to care for an immediate family member with a serious medical issue), and it applies to all public organizations, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, or companies with 50 more employees (US DOL).

Understanding FMLA guidelines and when they can be applied can get complicated, so it is important to understand what your rights are. Maggie needing to care for her mother is a qualifying event that could potentially mean Maggie could use FMLA. However, she was denied but the reason for the denial was not stated. She could have been denied because Ryan’s Express has less than 50 employees or because Maggie has not worked the minimum required hours of 1,250 over 12 months. The first thing I would suggest Maggie do is contact someone in Human Resources and verify eligibility, seek clarification on the reason or reasons she was denied, and see if there is an appeal process. If it is found that she does not qualify under FMLA, either because the company is not obligated to allow it or because she has not worked there the required time, Maggie can always ask about using any leave that she has built up to take off and care for her mother. If she still believes she is eligible for FMLA and the leave is denied after an appeal, she can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor and find out if there is any more action, she can take.

**References**

Moran, J. (2014).
**_Employment Law: New challenges in the business environment_** (6th ed.). Pearson.

Swartz Swidler, LLC (n.d.). Can FMLA be denied? Swartz Swidler.
[**https://swartz-legal.com/can-fmla-be-denied/**](https://swartz-legal.com/can-fmla-be-denied/)

U.S. Department of Labor (n.d.). Family and Medical Leave (FMLA). U.S. Department of Labor.
[**https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/benefits-leave/fmla**](https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/benefits-leave/fmla)

**## APA_RequiredCoverPage_and_Template_7thed8.docx**

SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS 1

SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS 1

**Your Paper’s Title: Title Is Centered and Bold, Three or Four Lines Down**

LEAVE A BLANK SPACE

## Your Name

**Donald R. Tapia College of Business, Saint Leo University**
Course Number and Name, e.g. DBA701: Doctoral Success Lab

Your Professor’s Name, e.g. Professor Waddell

Assignment Due Date, e.g. January 21, 2020

**Graduate Studies in Business Academic Honesty Statement**

My signature entered below constitutes my pledge that all the writing in this document is my own work, except for those portions which are properly documented and cited. I understand and accept the following definition of plagiarism:

1. Plagiarism includes the literal repetition without acknowledgment of the writings of another author. All significant phrases, clauses, or passages in this paper which have been taken directly from source material have been enclosed in quotation marks and acknowledged in the text itself as well as on the Reference page.

2. Plagiarism includes borrowing another’s ideas and representing them as my own.

3. To paraphrase the thoughts of another writer without acknowledgement is plagiarism.

4. Plagiarism also includes inadequate paraphrasing. Paraphrased passages (those put into my own words) have been properly acknowledged in the text and in the references.

5. Plagiarism includes using another person or organization to prepare this paper and then submitting it as my own work.

6. Plagiarism includes resubmitting my own previous work, in whole, or in part for a current assignment without the written consent of the current instructor.

**Saint Leo University’s core value of integrity** requires that students pledge to be honest, just, and consistent in word and deed. I fully understand what plagiarism is, and I further understand that if plagiarism is detected in my paper, my professor will follow the procedures for academic dishonesty set forth by Saint Leo University, the Donald R. Tapia College of Business and the Graduate Student Handbook.

**Student Signature: [Type Full Name Here]**

**Abstract [Centered, Bold]**

Start the abstract flush with the left margin; do not indent. According to the
_Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association_(APA), “An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the paper” (APA, 2020, p. 38). It allows readers to survey the contents of an article quickly and, like a title, it enables persons interested in the document to retrieve it from abstracting and indexing databases. The first line of the abstract is not indented. An abstract may range from 150 to 250 words (APA, 2020). Because an abstract is not always required for student papers, adhere to your instructor’s requirements.

_Keywords:_ Follow the abstract with a selection of keywords that describe the important ideas or subjects in your paper. These help online readers search for your paper in a database.

The keyword list should have its first line indented 0.5 inches. keywords are written in lowercase (except for proper nouns) and separated by commas. Do not place a period at the end of the list.

****Title of Your Paper [Centered, Bold]****
Begin your paper on the next double-spaced line after the title, and indent all paragraphs 1/2 inch. In the updated manual on p. 154, writers are asked to include only
**one space** between sentences rather than two spaces. When writing in APA style, you have two choices for in-text citations: narrative citations or parenthetical citations. According to a fictitious book by Harding and Jiménez (2020), a narrative citation occurs when you include “authors’ names as part of your sentence” (p. 24). Furthermore, Harding and Jiménez (2020) explain that you only need to provide a page number at the end of a narrative citation when directly quoting from the source. If the authors’ names do not appear in your sentence, you will use a “parenthetical citation” (Harding & Jiménez, 2020, p. 24). Similar to the above example, you only need to include a page number when quoting the authors’ original words (Harding & Jiménez, 2020). The APA manual summarizes these rules and related concepts on pp. 261-264.

**All Headings Are Bold and Written in Title Case (Level 1, Bold, Centered)**

You can read more about formatting section headings in the APA manual on pp. 47-49. Not included in this template is a level 5 heading, which is virtually identical to a level 4 heading, except it is italicized. According to the APA (2020), “The number of levels of heading needed for a paper depends on its length and complexity; three is average. … [S]hort student papers may not require any headings” (p. 48).

**New Rules for Citations (Level 2, Bold, Left Justified)**

**_First Rule_(Level 3, Flush Left, Italicized, Bold, No Punctuation)**

Begin indented paragraph on the next line.
A couple of important new rules concerning in-text citations appear in the APA manual. The first pertains to citing works by three or more authors. Instead of writing each author’s name in the first citation, then utilizing the abbreviation “et al.” for all subsequent citations, the APA advises writers to use the “et al.” abbreviation for
_every_ in-text citation for works by three or more authors. For example, my first in-text citation for a work by three authors would look like this (Harris et al., 2020). This new guideline reduces the amount of clutter created by listing each author’s name. You can read more about the use of “et al.” on p. 266 of the APA manual.

**_Second Rule_**

The other significant change to in-text citation formatting has to do with repeating narrative citations. For example, if I am writing a paragraph focused specifically on the work of Brown (2016), I would need to provide the year in parenthesis only after the
_first_ reference to Brown. As you can see, I could write more about the groundbreaking work of Brown without cluttering my paragraph with multiple in-text citations containing the year. However, if I am referencing more than one work by Brown, I must provide a complete in-text citation after
_each_ reference to Brown. That way, my reader won’t be confused. I would also need to provide the year in any parenthetical citation referencing the author (Brown, 2016). This new rule is described on pp. 265-266 in the APA manual.

**Similar Rule. (Level 4, Indented, Plain Text, Begins Paragraph, Punctuated)** In a similar vein, if I am writing a long paraphrase of a single work, I need to provide only one in-text citation at the beginning of the paragraph as long as “the context of the writing makes it clear that the same work continues to be paraphrased” (APA, 2020, p. 269). In other words, I could continue to write more about how the manual provides a helpful figure of this rule on p. 270. I would not need to provide a citation when telling you that if the paraphrase is long enough to warrant the creation of a new paragraph, you will need to provide an in-text citation at the top of the new paragraph. As you can see, I am still discussing the APA manual in a specific context, so I am not required to cite the manual again in this paragraph unless I introduce information from a new source. Even so, if you think your professor or reader might question where you found a certain piece of information, it won’t hurt to provide an extra citation or two.

**Punctuating In-Text Citations**

So far, you might have noticed that parenthetical citations typically appear
_before_ the sentence’s end punctuation, because the parenthetical citation is just another element belonging to the sentence. However, there is one specific instance when the parenthetical citation comes
_after_ the end punctuation. In the case of block quotations (a quotation of 40 words or more), you will introduce the quotation and demarcate it using special indentation:

Pretend that this is the beginning of the block quotation. First, notice that this long quotation is not surrounded by marks. It is the
_only_ time in your paper where you will quote something without using quotation marks. Next, the quotation is indented 1/2 inch from the left, and it’s left-justified, meaning that the quote’s left margin forms a straight line up and down. Last but not least, you will provide the parenthetical citation
_after_ the end punctuation (and because it’s a direct quotation, you will include the page number). Use block quotes sparingly. (Harding, 2020, p. 49)

If the original paragraph continues after the quotation, begin on the next double-spaced line, making sure that the line is flush left. If you want to begin a new paragraph after the block quotation, you will indent the new paragraph 1/2 inch from the left margin. Finally, if you include a narrative citation when introducing the block quote (i.e. “According to Harding (2020) …”), only include the page number in the parenthetical citation after the block quote. You can read more about these rules on pp. 272-273 of the APA manual.]

**References [Centered, Bold]**

Surname, A. A., & Surname B. B. (Year). Reference entry titles are written in sentence case: Sentence case titles for articles and shorter works are plain text and capitalized as if you were writing a sentence.
_Publication Name_,
_234_(2), 40-190.
[https://doi.org/12.029303](https://doi.org/12.029303) (Example of journal article with DOI. DOI should be formatted as an active hyperlink)

Surname, C. C. (Year).
_This is the title of a book about China and India: Notice that book titles and titles of longer works are italicized_. Publisher Name. (Example of book and e-book. Writers are no longer required to identify e-book platform (e.g. “Kindle”) or database (e.g. “EBSCO”). For e-books, provide a DOI or URL if one is available. Read more on p. 321 of the manual.)

REMOVE ALL YELLOW HIGHLIGHTS IF YOU USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A WORKABLE TEMPLATE!

| | | |
| — | — | — |
| | | |

**## GradDiscussionRubric.pdf**

TCOB Graduate Studies Discussion Rubric

Criteria No Submission

0 points

Novice
(Criterion is missing or not

in evidence)
1-13 points

Basic
(works towards meeting

expectations;
performance needs

improvement)
14-16 points

Proficient
(meets expectations;

performance is satisfactory)
17-18 points

Exemplary
(exceeds expectations;

performance is outstanding)
19-20 points

Support of
Week's Reading

No Student
Submission
(0 points)

Does not refer to the
readings to support postings

(1-13 points)

Alludes to the readings
to support postings

(14-16 points)

Refers to examples from the
readings to support postings

(17-18 points)

Provides concrete examples from
the readings to support postings;

integrates prior readings in
postings

(19-20 points)

Observations No Student
Submission
(0 points)

Does not integrate personal
observations or knowledge;

does not present new
observations
(1-13 points)

Integrates personal
observations and

knowledge in a cursory
manner; does not

present new
observations

(14-16 points)

Integrates personal
observations and knowledge
in an accurate way; presents

new observations
(17-18 points)

Integrates personal observations
and knowledge in an accurate and

highly insightful way; presents
new observations

(19-20 points)

Response to
Classmates

No Student
Submission

(0 points)

Responds in a cursory
manner to classmates’

postings
(1-13 points)

Constructively responds
to classmates’ postings

(14-16 points)

Constructively responds to
classmates’ postings; offers

insight that encourages other
students to think critically

about their own work.
(17-18 points)

Constructively responds to
classmates’ postings; masterfully
connects the material presented
in classmates’ postings to their

responses; encourages classmates
to think critically about their own

work.
(19-20 points)

Organization,
Word Choice,
and Sentence

Structure

No Student
Submission

(0 points)

Posts are disorganized and
information is not presented
in a logical sequence; word

choice and sentence
structure are not suitable

(1-13 points)

Posts are somewhat
disorganized, and
information is not

presented in a logical
sequence; word choice
and sentence structure

are not suitable
(14-16 points)

Posts are organized, and
information is presented in a

logical sequence; word
choice and sentence

structure are suitable; there
are a few errors; however,

errors do not affect
readability.

(17-18 points)

Posts are organized and
information is presented in a

logical sequence; word choice and
sentence structure are suitable;

no errors in the response.
(19-20 points)

References No Student
Submission

(0 points)

Includes no sources to
support conclusions

(1-13 points)

Includes 1 outside
source to support and
enrich the discussion;

Includes 2 or more outside
sources to support and
enrich the discussion;

sources are properly cited in

Includes 2 or more outside
sources to support and enrich the
discussion; sources are cited using

APA format; style guidelines are

TCOB Graduate Studies Discussion Rubric

sources are not properly
cited in APA format

(14-16 points)

APA format and are properly
integrated into the discussion

response
(17-18 points)

masterfully integrated into the
discussion response.

(19-20 points)

**## Diswk4homeworklaw.docx**

**Please respond to the discussion question below using and citing scholarly references in APA format.**

**Family and Medical Leave Act**

Ryan's Express is a dry-cleaning establishment with 47 employees working in six stores. Maggie Brown's mother must undergo triple bypass surgery. Brown applies for medical leave under the FMLA to care for her mother when she is released from the hospital. Brown's request is denied.

**1A**. How would you advise her to proceed?

\*\*\**************************************************************************************

**2.) **Please respond to the 2 peers using your views on the topic.**

**Cite 2 scholarly references in APA format.**

**KW:** Maggie Brown may not qualify for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) because her employer, Ryan’s Express, doesn’t meet the coverage requirements. The FMLA only applies to employers with 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius, and since Ryan’s Express has only 47 employees, it falls short of this threshold, making Brown ineligible for FMLA protection (Moran, 2014; CRS, 2012; U.S. DOL, n.d.).

The 50-employee threshold wasn’t set arbitrarily; lawmakers designed it to balance employee access to job-protected leave with the operational challenges faced by small businesses. The assumption was that larger companies would have more resources and flexibility to manage temporary worker absences without significant operational disruption (CRS, 2012).

Even though Brown doesn’t qualify for FMLA, she still has some options. First, she should check whether Ryan’s Express offers any alternative leave policies. Some companies provide unpaid leave, flexible work arrangements, or even additional benefits beyond what the FMLA requires (DOL, n.d.). Reviewing the employee handbook or talking to HR could help her determine if there are any company-specific policies she can use.

Another possibility is looking into state laws. Some states have family and medical leave laws that offer broader coverage than the FMLA, including lower employee thresholds for qualifying employers. This means that even employees of smaller businesses may be eligible for leave. Additionally, certain states have implemented paid family and medical leave programs that apply to employers of all sizes, expanding access to benefits. To check eligibility, employees should consult their state’s labor department or visit trusted resources like the National Conference of State Legislatures, which provides a comprehensive overview of state-specific laws (
americanprogress, 2024; NCSL, 2024).

If none of these options work, Brown might want to have a direct conversation with her manager. Explaining her situation and exploring possible solutions—such as vacation or sick leave—could lead to a compromise that works for both her and the company (DOL, n.d.). Employers sometimes offer informal accommodations, especially for valued employees, so open communication is key.

References:
Center for American Progress. (2024, January 17).
_The state of paid family and medical leave in the U.S. in 2024_.
[https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-state-of-paid-family-and-medical-leave-in-the-u-s-in-2024/](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-state-of-paid-family-and-medical-leave-in-the-u-s-in-2024/)

Congressional Research Service. (2012).
_The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): An Overview_ (CRS Report No. R42758). Retrieved from
[https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R42758.pdf](https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R42758.pdf)

Moran, J. J. (2014).
_Employment law: New challenges in the business environment_(7th ed.). Pearson.

National Conference of State Legislatures. (2024, August 21).
_State family and medical leave laws_.
[https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-family-and-medical-leave-laws](https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-family-and-medical-leave-laws)

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.).
_The Family and Medical Leave Act, the ADA, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964._ Retrieved from
[https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/family-and-medical-leave-act-ada-and-title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964](https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/family-and-medical-leave-act-ada-and-title-vii-civil-rights-act-1964)

**LW:** The Family and Medical Leave Act, also known as FMLA, can provide certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. This act also requires that the employee’s group health benefits be maintained while out of work on FMLA (Moran,2014).

Further stipulations for an employee to be eligible for this leave include that the employee has worked for the employer for at least 1,250 hours over 12 months with the organization, have a qualifying event (i.e. the birth, adoption, or placement of a child to the employee, medical leave for a serious medical issue, or to care for an immediate family member with a serious medical issue), and it applies to all public organizations, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, or companies with 50 more employees (US DOL).

Understanding FMLA guidelines and when they can be applied can get complicated, so it is important to understand what your rights are. Maggie needing to care for her mother is a qualifying event that could potentially mean Maggie could use FMLA. However, she was denied but the reason for the denial was not stated. She could have been denied because Ryan’s Express has less than 50 employees or because Maggie has not worked the minimum required hours of 1,250 over 12 months. The first thing I would suggest Maggie do is contact someone in Human Resources and verify eligibility, seek clarification on the reason or reasons she was denied, and see if there is an appeal process. If it is found that she does not qualify under FMLA, either because the company is not obligated to allow it or because she has not worked there the required time, Maggie can always ask about using any leave that she has built up to take off and care for her mother. If she still believes she is eligible for FMLA and the leave is denied after an appeal, she can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor and find out if there is any more action, she can take.

**References**

Moran, J. (2014).
**_Employment Law: New challenges in the business environment_** (6th ed.). Pearson.

Swartz Swidler, LLC (n.d.). Can FMLA be denied? Swartz Swidler.
[**https://swartz-legal.com/can-fmla-be-denied/**](https://swartz-legal.com/can-fmla-be-denied/)

U.S. Department of Labor (n.d.). Family and Medical Leave (FMLA). U.S. Department of Labor.
[**https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/benefits-leave/fmla**](https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/benefits-leave/fmla)

**## APA_RequiredCoverPage_and_Template_7thed8.docx**

SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS 1

SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS 1

**Your Paper’s Title: Title Is Centered and Bold, Three or Four Lines Down**

LEAVE A BLANK SPACE

## Your Name

**Donald R. Tapia College of Business, Saint Leo University**
Course Number and Name, e.g. DBA701: Doctoral Success Lab

Your Professor’s Name, e.g. Professor Waddell

Assignment Due Date, e.g. January 21, 2020

**Graduate Studies in Business Academic Honesty Statement**

My signature entered below constitutes my pledge that all the writing in this document is my own work, except for those portions which are properly documented and cited. I understand and accept the following definition of plagiarism:

1. Plagiarism includes the literal repetition without acknowledgment of the writings of another author. All significant phrases, clauses, or passages in this paper which have been taken directly from source material have been enclosed in quotation marks and acknowledged in the text itself as well as on the Reference page.

2. Plagiarism includes borrowing another’s ideas and representing them as my own.

3. To paraphrase the thoughts of another writer without acknowledgement is plagiarism.

4. Plagiarism also includes inadequate paraphrasing. Paraphrased passages (those put into my own words) have been properly acknowledged in the text and in the references.

5. Plagiarism includes using another person or organization to prepare this paper and then submitting it as my own work.

6. Plagiarism includes resubmitting my own previous work, in whole, or in part for a current assignment without the written consent of the current instructor.

**Saint Leo University’s core value of integrity** requires that students pledge to be honest, just, and consistent in word and deed. I fully understand what plagiarism is, and I further understand that if plagiarism is detected in my paper, my professor will follow the procedures for academic dishonesty set forth by Saint Leo University, the Donald R. Tapia College of Business and the Graduate Student Handbook.

**Student Signature: [Type Full Name Here]**

**Abstract [Centered, Bold]**

Start the abstract flush with the left margin; do not indent. According to the
_Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association_(APA), “An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the paper” (APA, 2020, p. 38). It allows readers to survey the contents of an article quickly and, like a title, it enables persons interested in the document to retrieve it from abstracting and indexing databases. The first line of the abstract is not indented. An abstract may range from 150 to 250 words (APA, 2020). Because an abstract is not always required for student papers, adhere to your instructor’s requirements.

_Keywords:_ Follow the abstract with a selection of keywords that describe the important ideas or subjects in your paper. These help online readers search for your paper in a database.

The keyword list should have its first line indented 0.5 inches. keywords are written in lowercase (except for proper nouns) and separated by commas. Do not place a period at the end of the list.

****Title of Your Paper [Centered, Bold]****
Begin your paper on the next double-spaced line after the title, and indent all paragraphs 1/2 inch. In the updated manual on p. 154, writers are asked to include only
**one space** between sentences rather than two spaces. When writing in APA style, you have two choices for in-text citations: narrative citations or parenthetical citations. According to a fictitious book by Harding and Jiménez (2020), a narrative citation occurs when you include “authors’ names as part of your sentence” (p. 24). Furthermore, Harding and Jiménez (2020) explain that you only need to provide a page number at the end of a narrative citation when directly quoting from the source. If the authors’ names do not appear in your sentence, you will use a “parenthetical citation” (Harding & Jiménez, 2020, p. 24). Similar to the above example, you only need to include a page number when quoting the authors’ original words (Harding & Jiménez, 2020). The APA manual summarizes these rules and related concepts on pp. 261-264.

**All Headings Are Bold and Written in Title Case (Level 1, Bold, Centered)**

You can read more about formatting section headings in the APA manual on pp. 47-49. Not included in this template is a level 5 heading, which is virtually identical to a level 4 heading, except it is italicized. According to the APA (2020), “The number of levels of heading needed for a paper depends on its length and complexity; three is average. … [S]hort student papers may not require any headings” (p. 48).

**New Rules for Citations (Level 2, Bold, Left Justified)**

**_First Rule_(Level 3, Flush Left, Italicized, Bold, No Punctuation)**

Begin indented paragraph on the next line.
A couple of important new rules concerning in-text citations appear in the APA manual. The first pertains to citing works by three or more authors. Instead of writing each author’s name in the first citation, then utilizing the abbreviation “et al.” for all subsequent citations, the APA advises writers to use the “et al.” abbreviation for
_every_ in-text citation for works by three or more authors. For example, my first in-text citation for a work by three authors would look like this (Harris et al., 2020). This new guideline reduces the amount of clutter created by listing each author’s name. You can read more about the use of “et al.” on p. 266 of the APA manual.

**_Second Rule_**

The other significant change to in-text citation formatting has to do with repeating narrative citations. For example, if I am writing a paragraph focused specifically on the work of Brown (2016), I would need to provide the year in parenthesis only after the
_first_ reference to Brown. As you can see, I could write more about the groundbreaking work of Brown without cluttering my paragraph with multiple in-text citations containing the year. However, if I am referencing more than one work by Brown, I must provide a complete in-text citation after
_each_ reference to Brown. That way, my reader won’t be confused. I would also need to provide the year in any parenthetical citation referencing the author (Brown, 2016). This new rule is described on pp. 265-266 in the APA manual.

**Similar Rule. (Level 4, Indented, Plain Text, Begins Paragraph, Punctuated)** In a similar vein, if I am writing a long paraphrase of a single work, I need to provide only one in-text citation at the beginning of the paragraph as long as “the context of the writing makes it clear that the same work continues to be paraphrased” (APA, 2020, p. 269). In other words, I could continue to write more about how the manual provides a helpful figure of this rule on p. 270. I would not need to provide a citation when telling you that if the paraphrase is long enough to warrant the creation of a new paragraph, you will need to provide an in-text citation at the top of the new paragraph. As you can see, I am still discussing the APA manual in a specific context, so I am not required to cite the manual again in this paragraph unless I introduce information from a new source. Even so, if you think your professor or reader might question where you found a certain piece of information, it won’t hurt to provide an extra citation or two.

**Punctuating In-Text Citations**

So far, you might have noticed that parenthetical citations typically appear
_before_ the sentence’s end punctuation, because the parenthetical citation is just another element belonging to the sentence. However, there is one specific instance when the parenthetical citation comes
_after_ the end punctuation. In the case of block quotations (a quotation of 40 words or more), you will introduce the quotation and demarcate it using special indentation:

Pretend that this is the beginning of the block quotation. First, notice that this long quotation is not surrounded by marks. It is the
_only_ time in your paper where you will quote something without using quotation marks. Next, the quotation is indented 1/2 inch from the left, and it’s left-justified, meaning that the quote’s left margin forms a straight line up and down. Last but not least, you will provide the parenthetical citation
_after_ the end punctuation (and because it’s a direct quotation, you will include the page number). Use block quotes sparingly. (Harding, 2020, p. 49)

If the original paragraph continues after the quotation, begin on the next double-spaced line, making sure that the line is flush left. If you want to begin a new paragraph after the block quotation, you will indent the new paragraph 1/2 inch from the left margin. Finally, if you include a narrative citation when introducing the block quote (i.e. “According to Harding (2020) …”), only include the page number in the parenthetical citation after the block quote. You can read more about these rules on pp. 272-273 of the APA manual.]

**References [Centered, Bold]**

Surname, A. A., & Surname B. B. (Year). Reference entry titles are written in sentence case: Sentence case titles for articles and shorter works are plain text and capitalized as if you were writing a sentence.
_Publication Name_,
_234_(2), 40-190.
[https://doi.org/12.029303](https://doi.org/12.029303) (Example of journal article with DOI. DOI should be formatted as an active hyperlink)

Surname, C. C. (Year).
_This is the title of a book about China and India: Notice that book titles and titles of longer works are italicized_. Publisher Name. (Example of book and e-book. Writers are no longer required to identify e-book platform (e.g. “Kindle”) or database (e.g. “EBSCO”). For e-books, provide a DOI or URL if one is available. Read more on p. 321 of the manual.)

REMOVE ALL YELLOW HIGHLIGHTS IF YOU USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A WORKABLE TEMPLATE!

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