If you look out toward the leave-and-attendance legislation horizon, and you might have to squint a bit but not much, you can see yet another patchwork beginning to take shape. This one is on paid sick days. Multi-state employers need to watch this carefully since it is certainly heading for full-fledged “patchwork” status which, when
Indiana Legislature Puts Kibosh On Local Attendance and Leave Laws
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The Indiana Legislature has passed a bill prohibiting local government units from requiring private sector employers to provide employees “an attendance or leave policy”… “that exceeds the requirements of federal or state law, rules, or regulations.” A sponsor of SB 213 said its goal was to prevent a “hodge-podge” of different employment benefits and laws…
Paid Sick Leave Laws: Truth in Consequences?
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in Leave
Miles’ Law, named for Rufus Miles, a chief in the U.S. Bureau of the Budget in the 1940’s, states that “where you stand depends on where you sit.” That law certainly applies to paid sick leave legislation.
Advocates tout that everyone will benefit, including businesses. For example, Portland, Oregon recently enacted an ordinance requiring sick time…
Leave Sharing Programs and Other Steps Employers Can Take to Assist Employees Affected by Hurricane Sandy
By Francis P. Alvarez on
Posted in Leave
When tragic events like Hurricane Sandy occur, many companies try to find ways to assist affected individuals, including the company’s employees and their families. "Leave sharing" programs, in which employees donate paid leave to other employees who need to miss work due to the storm or disaster, often become popular. Many companies are surprised to learn that there…
Reminder to Philadelphia Employers: You May Have to Provide Your Employees with Paid Sick Leave
By Stephanie J. Peet on
Posted in Leave
As of July 1, 2012, several employers in Philadelphia now have to provide their employees with paid sick leave. Pursuant to an amendment to Chapter 17-1300 of the Philadelphia Code, titled “Philadelphia 21st Century Minimum Wage and Benefits Standard,” certain entities providing services to, or receiving financial aid from, the City of Philadelphia must provide…
Connecticut First to Impose Paid Sick Leave Requirement
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in Leave
Connecticut has become the only state to require employers to provide paid sick leave to employees. On July 1, 2011, Governor Dannel Malloy signed into law Public Act No. 11-52, An Act Mandating Employers Provide Paid Sick Leave to Employees.
Beginning January 1, 2012, a covered employer must provide paid sick leave annually to each…
Feds Need Peripheral Vision Too When Managing Employee Leaves
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
If it is any comfort to private sector employers, when it comes to managing an employee’s entitlement to time off under a myriad of legal requirements and internal personnel policies, the federal government, as an employer, faces similar challenges. On December 3, the Office of Personnel Management issued final regulations addressing the use of sick…
EEOC Continues Its Attack on “Inflexible” Leave Policies
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
The EEOC’s challenge to “inflexible” leave policies continued this week, as the agency announced that it had sued Princeton HealthCare System for failing to reasonably accommodate employees who needed medical leave. According to the EEOC press release, Princeton HealthCare "fires employees" who are not qualified for FMLA leave and refuses to grant leave…
Leave Mavens Now New EEOC Commissioners
By Jackson Lewis P.C. on
Posted in Leave
Watch for a continued focus on medical leaves at the EEOC since President Obama’s recent recess appointments have extensive backgrounds on leave issues. The EEOC has been challenging employers’ “inflexible” leave policies which, the EEOC alleges, do not appropriately consider the ADA’s reasonable accommodation requirements.
Newly-sworn-in EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum, a former Georgetown University…