Leave

Be sure ‘Shared’ employees don’t put you over FMLA limit

08/13/2008

Many small employers aren’t covered by the FMLA because they don’t have 50 or more employees. But if you’re considering adding temp help from an outside agency to handle a workload spike, get out your calculator first. If you’re not careful, you could wind up triggering FMLA liability for everyone who works for you …

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