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Employee Relations

How must employees ask for FMLA leave?

11/12/2008

Q. Does an employee have to say that she wants to “take FMLA leave” in order to satisfy the requirement that she notify her employer of her “intent to take leave”? What must an employee tell an employer to preserve her right to take FMLA leave?

Don’t deduct FMLA leave from hours worked when calculating absenteeism ratio

11/12/2008

Just when you thought you had mastered the intricacies of the FMLA, employees and their lawyers have come up with a new trick that could trip you. This one involves how employers calculate attendance under no-fault absenteeism programs.

AG recommends no pension for convicted prisons director

11/12/2008

Donald Snyder, former director of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), forfeited his right to pension benefits when he was convicted of engaging in “a scheme to defraud the people of the state of Illinois,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan said.

Objectivity is what counts in constructive discharge cases

11/12/2008

Sometimes, employees who think they are about to be fired for poor performance will try to take pre-emptive action by quitting and then suing. Courts are pretty strict when it comes to “constructive discharge” …

OK to reject applicant who volunteers that disability can’t be accommodated

11/12/2008

If an applicant discloses a disability and says she can’t perform the job’s essential functions even with an accommodation, you can turn her down. You don’t have to second-guess her assessment and look for a reasonable accommodation.

New president, new Congress: 5 new employment laws could reshape HR

11/11/2008

When Barack Obama takes office in January, get ready for the most sweeping employment-law changes the HR world has seen in years. Attorney Mike Fox walks you through the legislation likely to reshape HR, possibly even in the first 100 days of the Obama administration. Here’s how to prepare.

5 ways to celebrate the holidays despite the downturn

11/10/2008

Amid the layoffs and belt-tightening, the December holidays still can be a time for your organization to show its appreciation to employees. Your organization doesn’t have to cancel holiday festivities because of the weak economy. Here are five ways to add some holiday sparkle during financially dark times.

Tough times? Laugh them off for the sake of the holidays

11/10/2008

There’s nothing funny about layoffs and pay cuts, but they’re no reason to lose your sense of humor at work, especially during a season that’s supposed to be fun and festive. Managers can do their staffs a huge favor during these tough economic times by lightening up the workplace.

Past employees reconnect at amusement park reunion

11/10/2008

A four-day reunion for all past employees of Cedar Point, the country’s second-oldest amusement park, drew about 1,000 alums and their families over Labor Day weekend.

‘Servant leadership’ style spreads knowledge, values employee input

11/10/2008

The president of San Ramon, Calif.-based engineering firm Engeo always leaves his door open. In fact, the organization practices “servant leadership,” which puts the president on the bottom of the organizational chart and tasks him with serving the employees.