Dealing with a patchwork of FMLA laws
May 7, 2015 1:42 PM
Sick leave has been an industry hot-button topic, and even in his most recent State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama called for a paid leave law to sign. Any federal paid leave law would likely be modeled after one of the paid leave laws passed by state or local governments. Geoff Simpson of Presagia, Teri Weber of Spring Consulting Group, and Michael Soltis of Jackson Lewis provide some details on the proliferation of state and local paid leave laws and suggested strategies for employers to effectively deal with them. Varied paid leave laws are a challenge for employers, said Terri L. Rhodes, Executive Director of DMEC. But they are also an opportunity to rethink our programs and break down departmental barriers to effective absence and disability management.
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Image credit: Fotolia
State laws
In 2014, only Connecticut had a state paid leave law. This year, Connecticut, Massachusetts and California have enacted such laws.
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Image credit: Fotolia
Local laws
In 2014, seven local jurisdictions had paid leave laws. In 2015, the number now stands at 18.*
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*The laws are differing in the amount of sick days available, size of the employer covered, family member definition and other variables.
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Move from reactive to proactive
Leave laws touch numerous functions, including HR, disability and legal. The best way to start taking a proactive approach is to give a single department clear ownership over leave.
Image credit: Fotolia
Image credit: Fotolia
Make sick leave an integral part of a program
One-offs will not work long-term. Sick leave should be analyzed and managed in terms of overall health and productivity goals and outcomes.
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Image credit: Fotolia
Participate in the public discussion.
Paid leave is not a matter of if, but how. It is important that HR, disability and other experts have a voice in shaping laws that impact their best practices.
Image credit: Fotolia
Image credit: Fotolia
