Tag: absenteeism

No Protection for Drinking On the Job

Question: One of the facilities we operate has a formal dining room and bar. One of our directors found a bartender drinking wine while on duty. We have a rule that drinking by employees isn’t allowed on the premises at all. We would like to fire her. If she tells us she has a drinking […]

FMLA

Disputed Absences Prevent FMLA Victory for Kentucky Employer

A federal court in Kentucky recently ruled that a Kentucky employer must go to trial in a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) case in part because there were disputes over whether an employee was absent and whether he had been given FMLA paperwork at the time of the absences.

FMLA

Howard Stern’s day off : the danger of digging for details when employees call in sick

Shock Jock Howard Stern took an unexpected day off from his radio show last week which prompted a firestorm of speculation on social media as to the underlying reason for his absence.  Although Stern’s absence was initially attributed to a “personal day,” many fans speculated that Stern’s sick father was the real reason he missed […]

Divorce and the unproductive employee

by Kathryn M. Grigg Employees are not the only ones who suffer through a divorce. Employers also bear the cost of an employee’s divorce through absenteeism and reduced productivity. This article addresses some benefits and support programs you can provide at minimal cost to maintain a productive workforce. Costs of divorce The amount of time […]

More human rights ‘frustrations’

by David G. Wong Traditionally, when an employee’s absenteeism was excessive and there was no reasonable prospect of  returning to work in the foreseeable future—as long as there was no contractual term providing otherwise—a Canadian employer could discharge the employee for non-culpable absenteeism or treat the employment contract as having been frustrated. This would bring […]

Save money while improving employee morale

by Richard Reinhardt Unscheduled absenteeism costs American businesses billions of dollars every year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). There are myriad potential costs to take into account, including:  Overtime; Paid sick days; Use of temporary or “relief/reserve” employees; Reduced productivity; Poor quality of goods or services resulting from replacement workers’ inexperience […]

FMLA, ADA, and employees with depression: Examining the nuts and bolts

Employees bring their expertise, education, and skills to work every day, and employers count on those qualities. But employees may also bring other aspects of their lives to work—characteristics that can complicate the employer’s responsibilities.  A study from Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), a nonprofit organization concerned with health and productivity research, released a study in […]

Using Attendance Policies to Minimize Chronic Absenteeism at Work

by Joseph C. Pettygrove Most employers recognize that there are times when employees have legitimate reasons to miss work, be tardy, or leave early. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to suspect an employee’s stated reason for an absence (or a recurring absence) is a lie. Take, for instance, a worker who is repeatedly “sick” the Monday […]

Playing hooky from work

Curb Summertime Blues with Good Absence Policies, Effective Rewards

Holy Ferris Bueller! Is it possible that some of your employees are calling in sick to have fun in the sun? It’s hard to quantify how many people play hooky from work just to enjoy beautiful, warm weather, but according to a recent CareerBuilder’s annual survey on absenteeism, 29 percent of workers took a faux […]