Benefits & Leave


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Benefits & Leave

Subtopics:

Benefits
Insurance & Health Care
Leaves
Retirement
Time Off

Complete Topic List

Short Takes: Leaves
June 2008
Can we require an employee to give us advance notice if he or she will be going out on leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)? . . . more

Benefits: What's the Extent of Our Risk Following the New U.S. Supreme Court 401(k) Ruling?
May 2008
I've read about the new 401(k) Supreme Court case. How far back can employees sue us if they claim we mishandled their retirement accounts? And how can we protect ourselves now for something that might have already happened? . . . more

Leaves: Can We Force Employees to Take Vacation During a Twice-Yearly Shutdown?
May 2008
We've been struggling with keeping production up because of employee vacations. So instead of trying to fight vacation schedules, we want to start shutting down for a week in December and again in July and making everyone take vacation during those weeks. Are there any laws about doing this or any problems that you foresee? How much notice do we have to give? How would we go about phasing this in? . . . more

Hiring: Can We Refuse to Hire Smokers?
May 2008
My boss wants to have a truly smoke-free workplace, and he doesn't want to hire people who smoke. Can we do that? . . . more

You're the Expert: How Can I Avoid Family Responsibility Discrimination Claims?
May 2008
I'm hearing more and more about "family responsibility discrimination," and I'm worried that employees will start suing under this theory. How should I treat workers who are parents and caregivers so I can avoid accusations of discrimination? . . . more

Employee Leaves: What Should I Do When Managers Don't Want to Reinstate Employees Who Went Out on FMLA/CFRA Leave?
April 2008
We're having problems with people coming back from FMLA/CFRA leave. Two particular situations worry us. In one case, the manager says, "I've redistributed the work and there's no job anymore." And in the other, the manager says, "We've hired a temp who is much better--we don't want the person back." Don't we still have to restore the employees who want to come back? Help! . . . more

Domestic Partners: Do We Have to Give 'Kin Care' Leave to Domestic Partners?
April 2008
An increasing number of our employees are registering with domestic partners. Can an employee take kin care leave to spend time with his or her domestic partner? . . . more

Short Takes: School Functions
April 2008
Do we have to let people off work to attend their children's kindergarten functions? . . . more

Short Takes: Domestic Partners
April 2008
May we verify domestic partnership status when employees want insurance coverage? . . . more

Bulletin: U.S. Supreme Court rules on ERISA case
March 2008
In a unanimous decision favorable to employees, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that individual 401(k) plan participants can sue plan administrators under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) . . . more

Family and Medical Leave: What Do We Do with an Employee Who Doesn't Have Enough Hours for FMLA Leave but Might by the Start of the Leave?
March 2008
You'd think we'd have the FMLA figured out by now, but we have two issues that we don't know how to address. One employee has requested leave, but she hasn't yet worked 1,250 hours and hasn't been employed by us for 12 months. However, by the time the requested leave would begin, she would have been employed for a year but may or may not have worked the 1,250 hours. . . . more

Time Off: What Policies Do Most Organizations Set for Bereavement Leave?
February 2008
We've had a string of sad situations recently that have really tested our bereavement leave policy. We curre . . . more

Short Takes: 'Day of Rest'
February 2008
An employee told HR that we can't make him work on Sunday because of the state's "day of rest" law. . . . more

Workplace Wellness: Wellness Seems to Be Too Vague a Concept for Our Top Execs—Can You Help?
January 2008
I'm trying to get a wellness program going in our company but I can't seem to get top management to "get it." Can you help out by outlining why wellness is important--something even our VPs can understand? . . . more

You're the Expert: A recent question
January 2008
We have some people who may be abusing our Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policies. We approved their going out on leave, but now we suspect they don't qualify. What do you do to identify and stop FMLA abuse? . . . more

Family Leave: Can I Fire Someone on Family Leave?
January 2008
Can I Fire Someone on Family Leave? . . . more

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