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Does Minnesota law let workers take time off for their children’s school activities?

07/08/2009

Q. Last year an employee explained an absence by referring to his rights under Minnesota law to attend school activities. What exactly do Minnesota laws say about a parent’s right to be away from work because of school activities or to take care of children?

Keep superstars on board with sabbaticals—even during tough times

07/06/2009

During a time of layoffs and budget cuts, you might not think a lot of organizations would be encouraging their employees to take lengthy sabbaticals—or that employees would feel secure enough to accept the offer. Yet six-week to six-month job pauses remain as common as ever. There are good reasons why the sabbatical is enduring even as other benefits become expendable.

Adoption benefits vary widely by firm size

07/06/2009

The top organizations on Conceive Magazine’s list of the 50 Best Companies for adoption benefits offer more than $100,000 for in vitro fertilization and other reproductive treatments, or $60,000 for treatment combined with generous paid leave. Some give employees more than $15,000 toward the adoption of a child …

Energy cooperative convenes Best Place to Work committee

07/06/2009

When Flint Energies President Bob Ray Jr. wanted to move his Georgia electric cooperative closer to becoming eligible for some of the “best companies” lists, he turned the task over to his 200 employees. He identified an “emerging leader” within the ranks to chair and appoint a 10-employee Best Place to Work Committee …

Deployed employees keep benefits at Michigan military contractor

07/06/2009

Over the past five years, 74 of government contractor ArvinMeritor’s 525 employees have taken military leaves of absence—and most of them got to keep most of their employee benefits while they were gone. The Troy, Mich.-based firm pays the difference between military pay and the employee’s salary so the family can maintain its standard of living while a spouse is deployed.

Delphi learns the hard way: Don’t mess with medical records

07/06/2009

Auto parts manufacturer Delphi has settled a suit with the EEOC alleging the company made prohibited medical inquiries into employees’ health and retaliated against staff who objected. Delphi required employees returning from sick leave to sign releases allowing the company to probe their medical records …

N.Y. state considers paid family leave

07/06/2009

The state legislature is considering a bill that would require all employers to provide up to 12 weeks of paid time off so employees can tend to very ill family members or take care of newborns or newly adopted children.

Set clear, consistent response to ‘I’m sick’ calls

07/06/2009

FMLA rules say employers are required to let their workers know about the law and how to go about requesting FMLA leave for a serious health condition. Ignoring a leave request could amount to “interference” with the employee’s right to take FMLA leave. Make sure all managers and supervisors know how to handle medical call-ins so that a potential FMLA request doesn’t get lost.

Can we terminate a no-call/no-show employee?

07/06/2009

Q. We have an employee who has missed the last several days of work without notice. We also have a policy that says employees who miss three days without notice are deemed to have resigned and are terminated. Are there any legal risks associated with terminating this employee?

Miscalculated FMLA? Just let employee know

07/03/2009

It’s easy enough to do. While calculating an employee’s remaining FMLA leave, you make a mistake and tell the employee he has to return by a certain day when in fact his leave expires earlier. How can you fix the problem if you discover it while the employee is out on leave? Just let him know that you made a calculation mistake and give him the correct information—before he has to return.