With fear and uncertainty circulating about the continued spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, it’s no surprise that employers are wrestling with the best way keep employees healthy and to ensure that sick employees stay at home for as long as needed. In particular, I am concerned about industries with heavy concentrations of hourly employees – such as retail and restaurants – that could be hit worse because sick employees will still try to come…
With flu season peaking this month, you may be wondering what rights you have to control the workplace and its culture when employees might be sick. Do you encourage employees to go home when they are coughing and sneezing—even if they don’t want to? Do you intervene if your employees “sick shame” their peers, or do you consider it acceptable? Historically, employers have often worried more about employees taking off when they were not sick…
Although flu season doesn’t really get started until late October, especially in the South, now is a great time to get your office and your workers ready to battle it. Last year’s flu season was especially dangerous—and deadly. Flu sent more than over 700,000 people to the hospital, and 180 children died. The 2017-2018 season was driven by a flu strain, the H3N2 virus, which tends to result in more hospitalizations and cause more deaths….
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that its Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) certification forms and notices are valid for three more years, until Aug. 31, 2021. (The DOL must submit its FMLA forms to the Office of Management and Budget for approval every three years to ensure the FMLA certification and notice process isn’t too bureaucratic.) In late August 2018, seven forms were certified. The DOL didn’t make any substantive changes to the forms,…
It might seem logical to assume that flu season would ramp down as temperatures moderate, but per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), flu season lasts until mid-May. This year’s flu season has been especially dangerous—and deadly—and CDC experts say it isn’t peaking, yet. With cumulative hospitalizations at the highest rate since the CDC has been tracking them, employers should remind personnel to stick with flu prevention strategies at least through March, if not longer….
Employee benefits have become increasingly complicated for business owners as they struggle to address them for very different generations of workers. Baby boomers may want time off for elder care, while millennials may want extra paid vacation or flex time. Compounding the issue, workers have become increasingly willing to turn down a job offer—or even leave one company for another—to acquire the benefits package they desire. Organizations can address these concerns without negatively affecting the…
Even with record numbers of employers winning Family Medical Leave Act lawsuits, family-leave related issues remain complex and treacherous for most firms to navigate. The fact that Georgia has no state equivalent of the federal FMLA, and that firms of fewer than 50 are not subject to its requirements, doesn’t make compliance any easier. From pregnancies to off-the-job injuries, situations that temporarily remove a worker from his place of employment must be treated with care….
We have years of experience helping our clients draft sick leave and vacation policies. In a new draft executive order from President Obama, employers with federal contracts will be required to provide seven days of sick time to employees annually, which would include paid time for family care. That may not sound like a big deal, but it could cause a lot of administrative headaches for companies to implement and execute, in addition to requiring…
Buffalo's Cafe Ends Human Resources Headaches;