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Don’t expect employees on FMLA leave to stay in bed

01/01/2004
Issue: Make sure you’re in the right before punishing people for ‘misusing’ FMLA leave. Risk: Tons in legal fees defending an arbitrary decision. Action: Make it clear to employees …

4 Tips for Choosing a Long-Term Care Insurance Plan

01/01/2004

Long-term care (LTC) insurance can offer a low-cost way to upgrade employee benefits. The benefits: reduced absenteeism due to employee caregiving duties and  tax benefits for some employers. Use these four strategies to decide whether sponsoring an LTC insurance plan makes sense for your organization …

Back problems top workplace disability claim

01/01/2004

Want to know where to focus your health-prevention dollars? Concentrate on the ailments that are costing your organization the most money in employee absences, decreased productivity and increased health care costs …

Court: ‘Serious health condition’ requires 3 full days of incapacity

12/01/2003
When it comes to judging whether an employee’s serious health condition qualifies for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protection, require at least three consecutive, full days of incapacity. A new …

Avoid stricter notification policy than FMLA requires

12/01/2003
Can your organization require employees to give notice of their need for FMLA in a way that’s more stringent than the standards set by federal law? Courts are split on this …

Steer clear of cutting sick worker’s job in half

12/01/2003

Q. One of our full-time employees, age 60, is ill and expected to be out six months. We’d like to make her position part time, because we need to hire an additional part-timer in another department. Essentially, we’d like to split her full-time job into two part-time positions. Is this legal? —D.H., Texas

Only 3 full days of incapacity will trigger FMLA leave

12/01/2003
Issue: Court raises threshold for employees to qualify for FMLA leave. Benefit: Workers can take FMLA leave if they have a serious condition causing three consecutive full days of incapacity, …

Do the math before taking action
against employee on FMLA leave

11/01/2003
When calculating an employee’s 12 weeks of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, always double-check your math, then run it by an HR boss or employment lawyer.
While you …

3 common FMLA mistakes … and how to avoid them

10/01/2003
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave annually for the birth or adoption of a child, their own …

Cut absenteeism costs with a paid-time-off plan

10/01/2003
Issue: Paid-time-off (PTO) plans combine sick leave, vacation time and personal days into a single leave-time bank.
Benefits: A PTO plan can reduce sick leave abuse and trim your absentee …