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How to prevent employees from abusing PTO leave

07/01/2007

A reader of our e-mail newsletter, HR Weekly, recently posed this question:  “We allow employees to take paid time off (PTO) in hourly increments, but they often use PTO when running late in the morning or for unexpected ‘appointments.’ How can we get a rein on our PTO leave?”

Incentive pay hours don’t count toward the 1,250 hours required for FMLA leave

07/01/2007

Q. We are a hospital and we give employee “bonus” hours if they agree to work weekends and at other times that are difficult to staff. An employee has requested FMLA leave to care for a family member. Our employee has actually worked less than the FMLA-required 1,250 hours in the year, but because of the bonus hours, she has been paid as if she worked more than 1,250 hours. Does she qualify? …

Count only hours actually worked for eligibility

07/01/2007

Do you have special incentive programs to make weekend work attractive to employees? If your program pays workers “credit hours” for time not actually worked, you don’t have to include those hours toward FMLA eligibility …

Creative benefits help employees with cancer stay on the job

07/01/2007

Employees living with cancer increasingly are staying on the job, thanks to benefits like flexibility and intermittent, short-term disability insurance …

Profit sharing and ‘No walls’ management boost job referrals

07/01/2007

About 70% of all hires at Findley, Ohio-based hiring firm Right Thing come highly recommended by the organization’s own employees. What gets employees talking to their friends about joining the firm? It’s the company’s laid-back atmosphere—with no formal managers or departments—and an employee profit-sharing plan that involves half the company profits …

Longer shifts allow employees an extra day off every 2 weeks

07/01/2007

Most employees cherish their occasional three-day weekends, but for production employees at Milwaukee-based Quad/Graphics, it’s the norm. The company runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the 8,000 production employees work a 46-hour week. Working 12-hour shifts, they alternate between three days on/four days off and four days on/three days off …

‘Chronic’ FMLA leave causing HR headaches

07/01/2007

If you’re having trouble determining when you must grant FMLA leave to employees who suffer recurring health problems, you’re not alone. Nearly two-thirds of HR professionals say they’ve experienced such problems, leading to morale issues and productivity loss …

Recruiting & Retaining: 6 Real-Life Examples of Successful Programs

06/01/2007

Turnover among female employees at New York-based KPMG has declined by 22 percent in the past three years. One big reason: The KPMG Network of Women, or KNOW, helps female staff with professional development …

Obesity equals higher absenteeism, workers’ comp costs

06/01/2007

A great deal of attention has focused on the direct health costs caused by obese employees. But a new Duke University Medical Center study shows obesity also takes a heavy toll on your workers’ comp costs and absenteeism rates …

Can a New Mom Demand Part-Time Schedule?

06/01/2007

Q. We had a full-time employee take FMLA leave to have her baby. After her 12 weeks off, she demanded a part-time schedule. We need the position to be filled full time. The shift we want her to work is the one she was working before she took FMLA leave. Do we have to let her work the schedule she wants?—E.L., Connecticut