Look Around HR

Today I am writing about something that I am going to experience today, and probably for the rest of the week, and that is returning to work after a week off (actually 6 days). I was up in the mountains so had no access to e-mail, cell phones, etc. and that is the way I like it (kind of like life until the mid-90s).

But when most people return to a situation like this they come back to a desk full of work. The phone shows 62 missed calls and 48 messages (hopefully someone else was taking your calls or checking your messages). And then of course- e-mail. I am sure that will keep you busy for a few hours just reading your inbox.

So what do you do? The number one thing is to remain calm. Just like a busier than normal day or week, prioritize. After checking the messages and e-mails, figure out what can wait, what needs to be dealt with now, and what needed to be handled last week.

If you have it in your head that you have so much to do and you cannot possibly get it done, then that attitude will probably follow with you. If you stay composed, and can prioritize, everything should be fine.

One of the under-the-radar labor related bills that Democrats (and labor unions) are promoting is what is known as The Healthy Families Act. This bill would mandate that businesses with 15 or more employees provide a certain number of paid sick days each year. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) is the chief sponsor of this legislation.

While it may have fizzled out in Washington (at least for now), this issue is alive in many states. There are currently two cities that have policies like this (San Francisco and Washington D.C.), although they may vary in scope. A number of states are considering mandatory paid leave (including AK, CA, CO, CT, MA, MN, NC, PA, RI, WV, and WY).

The Connecticut Senate recently debated this measure, and here is some of what was reported in the Hartford Courant:

Proponents said the bill would give average people the chance to address the health needs of themselves and their families- a chance they need more as they work harder while disposable income, job security and benefits shrink in the “global economy.”

But opponents said the increasing business competition of that same economy is the reason that lawmakers should not approve the bill: It would put Connecticut at a disadvantage and cost the jobs of some of the very workers it is intended to help, they said.

I understand the arguments of both sides.

The specifics of this bill included one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked. This would equal about 6 ½ days per year (in a typical 2080 hour year).

I think that 6 ½ days per year is a reasonable amount of paid time off as long as the number of hours work determines the amount accrued. I must admit I am a little shocked that many companies do not offer some form of PTO for full-time employees. Being in a competitive, professional field (healthcare)- it is rather foreign to me. We currently offer 20 days of PTO after one year of service (with a prorated amount during the first year that employees can use after 90 days). That number goes up to 25 after five years and 30 after 10.

The Heritage Foundation has a well thought out essay opposing the mandatory sick leave, while offering other proposals that would not be as costly to employers. Of course costs are the number one concern of business when legislation like this is considered.

From Heritage:

Congress should make it easier for employees to manage the demands of work and family life, but requiring employers to provide paid time off is the wrong approach. Employers would respond to mandatory greater sick leave benefits by reducing other benefits and wages. Congress should not force workers to take a pay cut to receive more sick leave. Instead of making this choice for workers, Congress should raise incomes by reducing taxes, creating sick leave savings accounts for workers, and allowing employers to offer comp time. Unlike a mandatory sick leave benefit, these policies would give workers more choices and greater flexibility to balance work and family life.

Read the entire essay here.

For the record, I think we will see legislation begin passing in state legislatures, and then Congress- possibly as soon as the next session.

In today’s workplace it seems there is a mix of policies with regard to PTO. Some companies break it into different categories such as sick time, vacation time, and personal time. Others give you one lump sum and let you take it if you are at the doctor’s or the beach. I prefer the latter, if for no other reasons, because it makes it easier for HR and managers to track. If you are going to give your employee 20 days off a year- let them use it how they want to if scheduling permits (that’s just my opinion).

The reason I am talking about this…Because CareerBuilder.com has a list of the best excuses for calling in sick that I think will make you laugh this Friday. Here is the list:

1. At her sister’s wedding, an employee chipped her tooth on a Mint Julep, bent over to spit it out, hit her head on a keg and was knocked unconscious.
2. While at a circus, a tiger urinated on the employee’s ear, causing an ear infection.
3. An employee’s dog wasn’t feeling well, so the employee tasted the dog’s food and then got sick.
4. “Someone put LSD in my salad.”
5. An employee’s roommate locked all his clothes in a shed for spite.
6. “Stuck on an island – canoe floated away.”
7. An employee was upset because his favorite American Idol contestant was voted off.
8. “I didn’t think I had to come in if I had time in my vacation bank. I thought I could take it whenever I wanted.”
9. An employee said he wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest up for the company’s holiday party that night.
10. A groundhog bit the employee’s car tire, causing it to go flat.

Some of these are pretty funny and I am not sure how I would react if I actually heard someone try to get away with this. According to the story, 67 percent of employers require a doctor’s note when an employee calls in sick, 35 percent have checked up on their employees, and 14 percent have paid the employees a house visit.

I say alleviate the headache on everyone and give one flat PTO amount.