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Employees get a 2-day trip for every five years of service

12/08/2008

Employees who hit the five-year mark with Sheetz, the Altoona, Pa.-based convenience store and gas station chain, get an all-expense-paid, two-day summer vacation for two at nearby Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

Construction firm employees help each other in emergency

12/08/2008

When a TD Industries employee gets into a financial bind because of an emergency, colleagues pitch in to help out via payroll deductions. The Dallas-based construction firm allows employees to donate paid leave and money on a regular basis or in response to an isolated situation.

Election Day was an attendance nightmare! Must we allow time off to vote?

12/08/2008

Q. Because of the long lines on Election Day, some employees missed hours of work. In the future, do I have to permit employees to take time off to vote?

Document absences, and excuses, too

12/04/2008

One of the best ways to win lawsuits at the earliest stages is to have ready a treasure trove of documents showing your decision about an employee was fair, impartial and reasonable. For example, for employees with absenteeism problems, document every absence.

Facility shutdown, vacation and unemployment

12/04/2008

Q. Our facility shuts down for two weeks at the end of the year, and we send most employees home without pay during that time. This is the only vacation time available to the employees sent home. Are those employees eligible for unemployment compensation during the furlough?

How should we handle time off for workers who are emergency volunteers?

12/04/2008

Q. Several employees at our manufacturing facility on the coast are volunteer firefighters and medics. What obligations do we have to those employees who have to miss work to respond to a hurricane or other emergencies?

Don’t delay paperwork for FMLA leave

12/04/2008

Act fast if you require employees to furnish medical certification for requested time off. Delaying sending the forms may in itself constitute interference with an employee’s right to take FMLA leave.

Track managers’ deviation from rules to ensure there’s no hidden discrimination

12/04/2008

Here’s a problem you might never see coming: A supervisor who harbors resentment against a subordinate because of her protected classification decides to hold her to the letter of the law when it comes to a benefit such as FMLA leave. Meanwhile, other employees get preferential treatment, such as additional unpaid leave after their FMLA leave expires …

If an employee’s loved one dies, can he use FMLA leave to settle estate affairs?

12/04/2008

Q. One of our employees has been out on FMLA leave for seven weeks taking care of his sick mother in another state. We approved a full 12 weeks of leave. I received a voice mail from him saying that his mother died. He also said that he had to clear up a lot of things with his mother’s estate, but that he would be back by the end of his scheduled leave. Can he do that, or can I tell him he needs to come back sooner?

The new FMLA: 9 changes you must comply with

12/02/2008

For the past 15 years, complying with the FMLA has been complex, but at least the law stayed the same. On Jan. 16, that all changed. That’s the day the first major overhaul of the FMLA took effect. Here are the details.