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5 tips to take the hassle out of scheduling summer vacations

02/16/2012

Summer is still a long way off, but you can be certain employees are already eyeing the July calendar in hopes of grabbing the prime weeks to block off for their summer vacations. You’ll probably be stuck refereeing who gets which days. Here’s some help from HR pros:

Can we dock exempts for snow-day absences?

01/25/2012

Q. Due to recent snowstorms, some exempt employees have not been able to get to work. Can we dock the pay or accrued leave of employees who do not come to work? Can we do so even if the office is closed?

Consider more time off as reasonable accommodation

01/20/2012

Sometimes, employees develop medical problems and use up their available leave under the FMLA or other leave programs before they get a definitive diagnosis. Think about offering them additional time off.

Strict attendance policy is fine if followed consistently

01/12/2012

Some jobs require employees to always show up on time. Nursing homes, day care centers, hospitals and the like are obvious examples. Draconian attendance policies may be necessary to ensure coverage. As long as they allow for FMLA leave and consider reasonable accommodations for disabled workers, such rules are fine.

‘Garage-sale overdose’ and 12 other outrageous reasons for missing work

01/10/2012

Have you seen a lot more empty seats around the workplace these days? When asked to share the most unusual excuses their employees have given for missing work, employers offered the following real-life examples …

Chicago’s tough leave lessons: How not to handle FMLA leave

01/04/2012

Here’s a chance to learn from an employer’s FMLA mistakes. Don’t make the same ones yourself.

Chicago’s City Colleges take charge of leave, insurance

12/30/2011

The City Colleges of Chicago has ended its practice of allowing employees to “cash out” sick days when they quit their jobs. The policy applies to administrators and nonunion employees hired after Jan. 1, 2012, and is a first change resulting from a comprehensive review of benefits ordered by the school’s chancellor last fall.

What are the new FMLA rules affecting federal employees?

12/19/2011

Q. We’ve heard that federal employees’ FMLA rights have recently expanded. Can you tell us about this?

The dozen leave laws California employers must know

12/16/2011

Dealing with the multitude of federal and state laws governing leaves of absence in California can leave employers feeling lost and disoriented—and expose even the most well-intentioned employer to liability. The best prevention is education.

Dead-wrong bereavement leave

12/08/2011

A customer service rep at a call center went out on bereavement leave at least once a month. Lots of aunts and uncles, he said. The HR department discovered the employee had a family member on the “inside” at the funeral home who was creating a fake program for each fake funeral.