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Tell sick employees to stay home

06/01/2004
The sluggish economy of recent years has helped encourage more employees to show up at work, even while they’re sick. Nearly 77 percent of employees say they’ve shown up to …

Serious condition, not its symptoms, triggers FMLA

05/01/2004
The next time you consider a request for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), remember this: For employees to be covered under the FMLA for their own “serious …

Telecommuters eligible for FMLA? Geography may be irrelevant.

05/01/2004
An account executive who telecommuted from her California home office sued her Kansas-based employer, claiming she was fired after taking FMLA leave to recover from surgery. The company said she was …

Return pregnant employee to equivalent job

05/01/2004

Q. When an employee returns from maternity leave, do we have to give her the very same job she had or can she be put to work in a different type of position? —J.B., North Carolina

Serious illness, not just its symptoms, triggers FMLA

05/01/2004
Issue: Can employees earn FMLA leave if they just show symptoms of an ailment that eventually becomes a qualifying “serious condition?” Benefit: The answer is “No.” You don’t have to …

Job openings: No duty to notify employees on leave

05/01/2004

Q. One of our employees is on leave after giving birth. She may qualify for a position that recently opened up. Do we have an obligation to notify her of that opening? —R.D., Ohio

Carefully Craft Policy to Avoid Paid-Leave ‘Stacking’

04/01/2004

Q. A pregnant employee eligible for FMLA wants to take the 12 weeks of leave. Our leave policy says an employee on FMLA must first use his or her sick, vacation and personal leave, in that order, before the leave is unpaid. In this case, the employee has enough sick leave for the 12 weeks. But should she be allowed to use sick leave for the entire 12 weeks? Is this in our best interest? —M.P., Texas

You’re free to set paid-Holiday policy

04/01/2004

Q. Can our company freely change its paid-holiday policy? Are we bound by certain federal or state laws on holiday pay, for instance? —D.C., Oklahoma

Your ‘so-so’ employee is on leave; can you keep his replacement?

03/01/2004
It’s not uncommon to realize that employees on Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave aren’t as productive as their temporary replacements. That puts you in the sticky situation of wishing you …

‘Willful’ violation can extend employees’ time to file FMLA suit

03/01/2004
Typically, employees can file Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) lawsuits no later than two years after the alleged violation. But if a worker can prove that your organization “willfully” violated …