Two longtime employees have sued Bath Iron Works, claiming they were wrongfully fired for using the federal and Maine family medical leave laws.

David Brady of Bath and Richard Pye of Dresden, who worked at BIW for 26 and 28 years, respectively, say the shipbuilder had approved their use of leave to deal with mental health issues. But in lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court, they said the company fired them after they took time off last summer under the leave acts.

Brady said he took part of a day off last June because of anxiety and depression, but the company alleged that he went to lunch with a friend after leaving work and drank a beer. Pye said he suffers from depression, insomnia and anxiety and took a day’s leave to deal with a legal matter in the morning and then went home. According to the lawsuit, Pye had asked his supervisor for a day’s leave because his anxiety had flared up over the legal matter, but the supervisor denied the request.

Both lawsuits ask for the men to be reinstated to their jobs, receive back pay and benefits, and that BIW pay damages of $100 a day since they were fired in July.

BIW spokesman Matt Wickenheiser said Tuesday that the company has no comment on the lawsuits at this time.

In November, the Maine Human Rights Commission voted to issue right-to-sue letters for two BIW employees who say they were discriminated against because of disabilities.