Here are some pointers for creating a strong sick leave policy to encourage employees to get the necessary rest.
With flu season upon us, it’s the most common time of year for sick day requests. But when there’s work to be done, choosing between prioritizing your health and staying caught up can be conflicting. As a company, keeping sick employees at home is in your best interest since you aim to prevent the sickness from spreading in the workplace. Here are some pointers for creating a strong sick leave policy to encourage employees to get the necessary rest.
The Meaning of Sick Leave
Sick leave refers to paid or unpaid leave that provides sick employees time to rest and recover. Going beyond to assist sick employees has become contagious. In addition, you never know when an employee will get sick, but it’s vital to give them time off to focus on improving. Most importantly, some companies give employees a set number of paid sick days or allow them to earn them based on working hours.
Medical Leave and the FMLA
Moreover, employees might be covered under with Family and Medical Leave Act if employers don’t offer paid or unpaid sick leave. Although the FMLA lets workers take up to 12 weeks off to rest and address a severe health condition, it doesn’t cover the common cold or flu. An eligible medical condition that meets one or more of the following include:
- A permanent or long-term condition such as a stroke or Alzheimer’s
- Chronic health conditions like diabetes or asthma
- Treatments and recovery time that last more than three days, e.g., chemotherapy
- Incapacity due to prenatal care or pregnancy
Medical Leave and Telework
Due to modern technology, it’s never been simpler to stay connected to the workplace. Before laptops and smartphones, sick days were spent sleeping and slurping chicken noodle soup. Now, sick days include logging on from bed and squeezing in a couple of hours of work between naps to avoid the anxiety of falling behind on work. While remote work is a great way for workers to keep up with work at home, it can also make them feel obligated to be online while trying to rest.
So, how can your company create a strong sick leave policy? HR professionals often work to keep happy and healthy employees. Offering a strong sick leave policy and telecommuting are just two ways to engage your employees.
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