In the United States, people are increasingly taking on caregiving roles, especially for elderly parents. This impacts a lot of parts of the economy and society, and employers are finding it’s a situation that’s impacting them. When an employee is dealing with an aging parent, it can take them away from work. They might have … Read more
The federal government and all state governments have passed laws designating certain days each year as public holidays. Although there are several days each year that are recognized by the federal government and all state governments as national holidays, each state recognizes additional days each year that may or may not be recognized by other … Read more
Federal and State Jury Duty Leave Laws and Jury Duty Pay Requirements As Americans, serving on a jury is one of our civic duties. Accordingly, we, as citizens, will all be called to act as jurors sooner or later. In most cases, we’ll be called to serve as jurors in civil or criminal trials in … Read more
What is bereavement? According to Dictionary.com, bereavement for our purposes is defined as “a period of mourning after a loss, especially after the death of a loved one” and “a state of intense grief, as after the loss of a loved one.” Because each individual’s experience when they lose a loved one is different, each … Read more
On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed Senate Bill 475 declaring Juneteenth National Independence Day a federal holiday. Juneteenth commemorates when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, about 2 1/2 years after the proclamation was first issued. The bill became effective immediately upon being signed. What it means for … Read more
Recent news stories tell of a defense appropriations bill that includes a new benefit for federal workers: paid parental leave of up to twelve weeks on the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child. Paid parental leave has long been a goal of the federal workforce, and parental leave bills have been introduced before as … Read more
The wars in the Middle East have highlighted the issue of compliance with the workplace protections offered to veterans and reservists. Some laws, such as The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), are federal, but many states have their own laws affecting veterans and employers. In addition, many employers actively seek … Read more
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 grants an eligible employee the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave from employment. This is due to caretaking reasons, either for themselves or a family member with a health condition (suffering from a serious illness or needing medical treatment). For employers … Read more
Paid family leave has recently become a hot topic not just for Democrats but also for Republicans. The lucky few employees who already have access to paid family leave are paid fully or partially for long leaves from work for reasons that typically include caring for newly born or adopted children, seriously ill children, or … Read more
A couple of years ago, I wrote about states that had passed laws requiring employers to provide sick leave to their employees. At the time, there were six (6) states that had sick leave requirements. Since that time, the number of states has increased to ten (10). On top of that, there are eighteen (18) … Read more