Benefits & Leave


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Benefits & Leave

Subtopics:

Benefits
Insurance & Health Care
Leaves
Retirement
Time Off

Complete Topic List

Family and Medical Leave: How Should We Handle Employees Who Regularly Call in Sick on Short Notice?
8/8/2008
A few of our employees call in sick on a semi-regular basis with legitimate but unpredictable health issues relating to conditions like epilepsy and asthma. Is this time off covered by FMLA/CFRA? The employees can't give us much advance notice because their symptoms come on so suddenly. . . . more

Intermittent Leaves: Can a Worker Take Leave to Assist in a Grandchild's Care?
August 2008
Can an employee take an intermittent leave to care for a dependent child (under age 18) who is giving birth and then take time to assist in the care of the grandchild for doctor's appointments and the like? . . . more

Benefits: What Do I Need to Know About the Proposed New Disclosure and Reporting Requirements for ERISA Plan Service Providers?
August 2008
I know some big ERISA regulations are expected to be issued later this year. Where can I go for more information? . . . more

Family and Medical Leave: Can an Employee Use Intermittent FMLA Leave for Fertility Treatments?
July 2008
We have an employee who wants to use intermittent leave so she can receive fertility treatments. Do we have to let her do this? . . . more

Compensation: How Do We Set Up a Pay-for-Performance System?
July 2008
How do we go about setting up a pay-for-performance incentive system? We are in the very early stages and just don't know where to start. Thanks. . . . more

You're the Expert
July 2008
We want to make our holiday policy more inclusive, and we're looking for another way to say that employees get "Christmas" and "Easter Sunday," etc., off. Any ideas? . . . more

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

Additional Items

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Benefits & Leave
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