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Get out the vote: Create a voting leave policy

03/15/2024
Were you prepared for the elections that just took place in March? Were your employees clear on when they could take time to vote? Make sure you are prepared come November by implementing a policy or scrutinizing your current one. You can encourage voter turnout by implementing a voting-leave policy that shows employees you take the right to vote seriously.

Who takes the most time off following work injuries?

02/26/2024
Analysts at Upflip, an online training provider, reviewed the latest injury and illness data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to see which occupations had the highest percentage of cases where six days or more were taken off from work.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act adds intermittent-leave challenges

02/23/2024
The PWFA lets pregnant employees take a new, albeit informal, form of intermittent leave—and it doesn’t always require a health-care provider’s certification. The PWFA requires pregnancy-related conditions to be reasonably accommodated. Many such conditions mean employees may miss work with little or no notice.

The benefit that gives back: Offer time off for employees who volunteer

02/21/2024
Paid time off so employees can engage in volunteer or charity work may be just the benefit you’ve been looking for. It doesn’t cost much, it burnishes your image in the community and it has been shown to improve employees’ mental health.

How to Wipe Out Fraud and Abuse Under FMLA

02/16/2024
The medical certification process is your most potent weapon for combating potential FMLA fraud. But obtaining a certification is only the first fraud-stopping step. Here are 10 more things you can do to keep employees from gaming the FMLA system.

3 ways to handle use of sick leave with employee well-being and productivity in mind

02/09/2024
Studies show that since the pandemic, employees are taking much-needed sick days to prioritize their physical and mental well-being. Based on data from more than 30,000 small and mid-sized businesses that use Gusto, a payroll and HR platform, 30% of all employees have taken sick leave. That’s a 42% jump compared to 2019.

Docking pay for snow-day absences: When is it legal?

02/04/2024
The snow’s coming down pretty good and an exempt employee calls to say she can’t make it in today because her car is stuck. Can you deduct a full day’s pay from her salary for that missed day? What if she’s non-exempt? What if you close work because of bad weather? Here’s guidance—and a handy flowchart—to help you make the call.

Develop a process for extending FMLA leave

01/26/2024
Every employer needs a clear process for handling requests for additional time off after an employee exhausts FMLA leave. How you handle those requests can make the difference between winning and losing a disability discrimination lawsuit.

Take some paid time off … if you have any

12/20/2023
American workers have far less paid time off than any European workers have. A new report by international HR-services provider Remote found that even the stingiest European nations—Netherlands and United Kingdom—mandate at least 28 days of paid leave.

Help employees who are experiencing infertility and pregnancy loss

12/19/2023
There’s a good chance at least some of your employees may need accommodations as well as leave as they attempt to conceive, remain pregnant or deliver a child.