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Leave FMLA out of your handbook if it doesn’t apply

04/01/2005

Q. Our company employs fewer than 50 people, so we don’t have to comply with FMLA. Do we need to mention that fact in our employee handbook? —G.R., Michigan

It’s OK to slightly alter FMLA leave-taker’s job

04/01/2005
Issue: As a new ruling shows, you can make minor changes to an employee’s job while he or she is on FMLA leave.
Benefit: Increased staffing flexibility, decreased liability under …

Shifting to paid-time-off plan? You’re not alone

04/01/2005
In an effort to minimize employee-absence costs, more employers are dumping traditional absence policies in favor of paid time-off (PTO) plans. Such plans lump together time-off benefits (sick days, vacation days, …

Do your managers know an FMLA request when they see one?

03/01/2005
When employees request leave, especially for unforeseen circumstances, they don’t need to assert their FMLA rights explicitly by saying, “I need FMLA leave.” In fact, they don’t need to mention FMLA …

FMLA certification: Collect medical-leave proof the right way

03/01/2005
THE LAW. The FMLA lets eligible employees take up to 12 weeks of un-paid, job-protected leave each year for their own “serious health condition,” or if the employee is caring …

FMLA for Over-18 Relative Hinges on Self-Care Ability

03/01/2005

Q. Would FMLA leave apply to an employee who requests leave time to care for her daughter who is over age 21 and married? The daughter’s illness required hospitalization, but her husband is overseas on active duty with the military. —D.S., Georgia

Offer, don’t force, light duty as option for FMLA leave

02/01/2005
Issue: Court ruling says employees can perform light-duty work during their FMLA leave.
Benefit: In such cases, time spent on light-duty work would count toward the employees’ 12-week FMLA allotment …

You can set weekly vacation rule, but should you?

02/01/2005

Q. I know we’re allowed to tell employees which months they can’t take vacations, but can we also require that vacations be taken only by the week, and not in daily, hourly or half-day increments? —P.A., Nebraska

You’re not required to give reservists a post-duty rest period

01/01/2005
If you have military reservists on staff, you can call them to work right after they return from their weekend duty or other service obligations. Contrary to what you may have …

Don’t offer comp time to nonexempt employees

01/01/2005

Q. Can we offer our nonexempt employees comp time instead of overtime pay during a pay period? If we can, do we have to offer it at one and a half times, just like overtime is paid? For example, if an employee works one hour of overtime, do we have to give him one and a half hours of comp time? —J.C., Ohio