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FMLA

Employee out on FMLA leave? You can still insist on calling in

02/14/2011

Some employees think that once they are approved for FMLA leave, they don’t have to follow the same rules as other employees when they’re away from work. That’s not necessarily true. In fact, employers are free to create call-in policies that require employees who are going to be absent to phone daily—and they can include employees on FMLA leave in that policy.

What’s this I hear about a partnership between the government and the ABA to help employees sue?

02/11/2011
Q. I’ve heard that employees may soon be getting free legal services to sue employers. Is this true?

Must we prorate bonuses for employees who missed work while out on FMLA leave?

02/09/2011
Q. Many of our employees are eligible for a bonus at the end of each year if they meet specific yearly sales goals. Are we required to prorate the bonus for employees who fail to meet their goals because they took FMLA leave during the year?

Complying with the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

02/02/2011
In late 2010 the EEOC produced regulations on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The regulations provide employers with specific guidance concerning what information they may gather about their employees, how GINA interacts with the FMLA medical certification process and how any genetic information the employer obtains is to be treated.

Always remind employees of their FMLA rights

01/28/2011
Some employers are especially generous when it comes to allowing employees time off for illness and other needs. Some even pay employees during their leave and allow them to use accumulated leave that extends far beyond 12 weeks. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t also tell employees about their FMLA rights.

Do we owe STD benefits to employee who has been terminated after FMLA leave expires?

01/26/2011
Q. Our policy is to run FMLA leave and short-term disability (STD) concurrently. The FMLA is for 12 weeks of job-protected leave. STD is for 26 weeks, with proper medical documentation. Can we terminate an employee at the end of 12 weeks, when FMLA leave is exhausted? And, if so, do we end STD payments, since the employee has been terminated?

What are some strategies to stop employees from abusing intermittent FMLA leave?

01/14/2011
Q. What can an employer do to make sure employees are not abusing intermittent FMLA leave?

Bulletin board check: Is FMLA poster up-to-date?

01/14/2011
Is the FMLA poster in your break room up-to-date? If it’s not, courts could wonder if you’re serious about upholding employees’ right to take FMLA leave, as the following case shows.

Must small employers grant FMLA leave when an employee adopts a child?

01/14/2011
Q. I am an HR manager for a company with 30 employees.  One of my newer full-time employees who has worked here for just over a year tells me that she needs some time off because she is adopting a baby from Russia. Am I required to give her any time off for the adoption?

Employee out on FMLA leave? You can still insist on following call-in policy

01/14/2011

Some employees think that once they are approved for FMLA leave, they don’t have to follow the same rules as other employees when they’re away from work. That’s not necessarily true. In fact, employers are free to create call-in policies that require employees who are going to be absent to phone daily—and they can include employees on FMLA leave in that policy.