Are you sure you’reup-to-date on family leave in your business? This has become a hot topiceverywhere in our country as federal and state lawmakers push employers toprovide leave benefits for their employees.
Whether you’re obligated toprovide time off or simply wish to provide it to your employees as a benefit,consider the following before implementing a time-off policy. Some of theseconsiderations are legal requirements, while others just make good sense.
When considering a leavepolicy, be sure to check your state laws and any applicable federalregulations. If a local, state or federal statute covers the type of leaverequested, you’re obligated to abide by the minimum requirements of that law.
Some employers provide onlymedical leave, while others provide sick leave and vacation leave. Manyemployers are moving toward a paid time off (PTO) policy. This type of policycombines sick and vacation leave into one policy. Once employees are eligibleto take PTO, they may do so for whatever reason.
Depending on the type ofemployee, you may or may not want to provide time off. For example, manyemployers offer PTO only to full-time employees.
So how will your leavepolicy work? First you must decide how the leave benefits will accrue andwhether the benefits will be renewable at the end of the year. In some states,employers may force employees to “use it or lose it,” meaning that if employeesdon’t take time off during the year they are not able to carry it forward intothe next year.
Other states will not allowemployers to implement this sort of policy. In these states, employees must beallowed to carry forward any unused time off into proceeding years.
Regardless of what kind ofleave policy you institute, make sure you implement it in a fair andnondiscriminatory manner. Remember, a good leave policy can go a long way inhelping you attract and retain top employees.
– Source: Tire ReviewBusiness Toolbox
