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Ensure handbook doesn’t make FMLA promises you can’t keep

08/13/2008
An Indiana employer must now respond to charges it misled employees when it promised FMLA benefits in its handbook, even though the company is too small to be covered by the FMLA. The case, recently decided by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, shows the problems that arise when employers promise more than they are willing to deliver in their employee handbooks …

Must we provide time off to attend the Republican National Convention?

08/12/2008
Q. An employee who has used all his paid time off has asked for a leave of absence to attend the Republican National Convention. He is a delegate. Are we required to grant the leave? …

Workers’ comp may cover injury that occurs on vacation

08/11/2008
If you require certain employees to stay in good physical shape and pass regular fitness tests, a recent court ruling raises this key question: Could your organization be on the hook for workers’ compensation bneefits if the employee gets hurt while working out during a vacation?

Stray comments alone won’t prove religious discrimination

08/06/2008
Employees, aided by new EEOC guidance on religious accommodations, are feeling freer to ask for time off to participate in religious worship. The EEOC guidance makes it clear that employees must make the first move to work toward an accommodation since Title VII bars employers from asking about an applicant/employee’s religion …

You’re justified in firing employee you reasonably believe committed ‘Leave fraud’

08/06/2008
Here’s a surprisingly common situation that presents what looks like a no-win situation for employers: A worker with a high-pressure job and a heavy workload asks for FMLA and short-term disability leave for various minor health problems. The company approves the leave, expecting the employee back after 12 weeks …

Paying off vacation at termination

08/05/2008

Q. We have a policy that vacation pay is not paid at termination unless the employee attends an exit interview at which he signs a release of any claims he may have. Is this permitted? …

Is time off for voting required? Paid?

08/04/2008
Q. Must an employer give employees time off to vote? If so, must we pay employees for the time they spend voting? …

Try these 10 creative alternatives to handing out pink slips

08/01/2008

Laying off workers can strain more than the employees who lose their jobs and the managers who have to deliver the bad news. Before your organization starts handing out pink slips, consider some alternatives that have worked for employers during past economic slumps …

Online financial advice firm allows unlimited time off

08/01/2008
Executives at Alexandria, Va.-based The Motley Fool expect the web-based financial advising firm’s 180 employees to get their work done. Once they do, they can take as much time off as they want—with pay …

The Healthy Families Act: What it will mean for Ohio employers

08/01/2008
As many of our readers are aware, November’s ballot will probably contain a referendum asking Ohio voters to approve the Ohio Healthy Families Act. The proposed legislation would require Ohio employers to provide seven days of paid sick leave annually for most employees. Employers had better be forewarned and forearmed in the event the proposal becomes law …