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72 AEP employees use $3,000 adoption benefit

11/19/2013

American Electric Power employees who adopt children get a little help from their employer: 30 hours of paid leave and $3,000 per child. One of the largest utilities in the country, American Electric Power has helped 72 of its employees with adoptions.

Houston firm dedicates one day per year to volunteerism

11/04/2013

For the third year, Houston-based Swift Worldwide Resources has given all of its employees a day off—the same day—to volunteer in their communities at 23 locations around the world.

Save money upon termination by including ‘use it or lose it’ leave policy in handbook

10/30/2013

Here’s another reason your handbook must include clear, concise and specific explanations of vacation and other leave policies: By carefully explaining that employees who quit forfeit unused leave, you won’t have to pay them for that unused time under the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act.

March of Dimes offers array of benefits to expectant employees

10/30/2013

CEO Dr. Jennifer L. Howse says the March of Dimes’ attention to employee benefits reflects its mission of supporting healthy families, starting with its own employees.

2014 holiday scheduling: Compare your plans to other employers

10/29/2013

Are you offering too many (or too few) holidays off work for your employees? To compare your holiday closing plans with those of other U.S. employers, review these findings of the 2014 Holiday Schedules survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) …

Not a question to sneeze at: Is influenza covered by the FMLA?

10/29/2013

Back when Congress was debating the initial passage of the FMLA, there was considerable discussion about what kinds of illnesses would entitle an employee to FMLA protection. If in doubt, ask for a medical certification. Decide whether to approve or deny FMLA leave based on what the certification says.

Downside of vacations: Most consider quitting after it

10/28/2013

Vacations are meant to clear a person’s mind, but the post-vacation blues also tends to give employees another idea—jumping ship.

What should we do about executive’s offer of special leave allotment?

09/30/2013

Q. The daughter of one of our executive assistants was recently diagnosed with an illness that will require extensive treatment. Her boss offered her “a few extra weeks of paid vacation” to care for her daughter. He told her this before HR had an opportunity to talk to her about options for time off. We don’t think the special treatment would be received well by staff outside of the executive wing. Do we have to provide what he promised even if it’s against company policy? Is it even legal?

Parenting Leave Act changes now in effect

09/16/2013

Amendments to Minnesota’s Parenting Leave Act took effect Aug. 1, expanding the definition of “covered family members” from just children. Now the definition includes not only minor children and those attending school (up to age 20), but also the employee’s own spouse, siblings, adult children, parents, grandparents and step-parents.

Bill would provide leave for domestic abuse victims

09/06/2013

A bill before the New York Legislature would require employers to provide domestic or sexual abuse victims up to 90 days per year of unpaid leave to deal with the effects of the abuse.