Maternity leave is an important employee benefit, and many U.S. employers are legally required to provide it. Put simply, maternity leave is time off from work for new mothers. This time off can be paid or unpaid. It is important because it provides multiple benefits to employers and their employees – and greatly benefits the…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently provided new guidance regarding workplace cleaning, disinfecting, social distancing and ventilation in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation in the U.S. Social distancing When it comes to social distancing, the CDC recommends establishing policies and best practices for the individual workplace, especially if state and local health…
As the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak continues in the U.S., employers are being confronted with the possibility of facing workers’ comp claims from employees who either contracted the coronavirus at work or during work-related travel. The Washington Department of Labor & Industries announced March 5 that the state is changing its policy around workers’ compensation…
Employers have a legitimate interest in preventing FMLA abuse. But of the tools at their disposal to fight that fight, is conducting surveillance on employees one they should use? The short answer: Surveillance is perfectly fine as long as there is good reason for it – and it’s not used to retaliate or interfere with…
While the Great Resignation is still going strong, employers need to be on the lookout for another type of quitting employee: the ones who resign without even having a new job lined up. According to a recent survey done by BambooHR, 43% of U.S. workers have considered looking for a new job in the past…
The basic premise of the FMLA is pretty straightforward: Eligible employees are entitled to take job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. But as HR pros know, the law has produced some tricky issues – and includes some rules that are not always readily apparent. Time for a quick FMLA quiz Here’s a pop…
Working parents – whether you’re a father, mother or a non-binary parent – have faced more challenges in the last two years. Yet, much of the world focuses on mothers and birth parents as the primary caregivers. That often leads to gender inequality, whether it’s conscious or not. For example, when a child is sick,…
Paternity leave – both paid and unpaid – provides multiple benefits for employers and employees alike. In the U.S., both mothers and fathers have a federal legal right to take leave for the birth of a child and bonding within a year of the new child’s birth. This right also applies when a child is…
Pop quiz: An employee takes FMLA leave for less than a full week – and that week includes a holiday. How do you calculate the amount of FMLA leave used? Are you stumped? You’re not alone. But lucky for you, the Department of Labor recently issued an opinion letter that answers the question. Before we…
It can be tough working holidays. And Thanksgiving, with all those Norman Rockwell images of happy families, can be one of the toughest. The corrections officer in the following case actually got suicidal while working a shift on Thanksgiving. And if something like that happens to a subordinate on your watch, you could do worse…
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