"Some employers may want to implement a paid leave policy in response to the public health emergency without making it permanent ... An employer that does not make provisions for paying employees who are quarantined or otherwise not willing or able to work won't face liability unless a state or local law requires paid leave ... Telecommuting [may be] a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but ... being diagnosed with COVID-19 alone may not constitute a disability. However, telecommuting may be a reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities whose medical conditions could be made worse by contracting the virus." MORE >>
"[T]he implementation of teleworking (i.e. remote working) is one way that certain equipped companies can keep their employees (and those they interact with) safe, without significantly impacting business operations. [This article highlights] the benefits of teleworking, where possible, and suggest best practices for employers looking to institute temporary teleworking arrangements." MORE >>
"While the law applies to employers with 50 or more employees in Nevada, it is silent on how the 50-employee threshold should be calculated. In its guidance, the Labor Commissioner addressed this by applying standards from the FMLA The Labor Commissioner determined that based on the plain and unambiguous language of the so-called existing policies exemption, 'employers already providing leave that matches or exceeds' the minimally required leave amount are 'explicitly exempt from the other requirements' of the law." MORE >>
"By comparing workers' current job characteristics with those that individuals desire, we show that people would like preretirement jobs to be less cognitively and physically demanding and more sociable compared to their current jobs. We also find that most workers worry about their health and the demands of their jobs when they think about their future work trajectory, but relatively few were worried that their employers would retain them. Having access to part-time jobs, and expected longevity were less important predictors of retirement." MORE >>
"The number one perk reported as the most important by workers across all ages, regions, and industries is remote/flexible work (41%), followed by healthcare coverage (27%)." MORE >>
"Most phased retirement programs allow employees to return to work while collecting some specific benefits. Employees in phased retirement programs may have a limit to the number of hours they can work per week, and the programs may last months, years or indefinitely.... Phased retirement programs ... also help businesses prevent 'brain drain,' which can become a problem when unemployment is low and filling open jobs can take months."
"About 54 percent of new grads said medical coverage is the top workplace benefit when it comes to looking for a job ... The respondents said paid time off was the second benefit they most desired, followed by student loan forgiveness ... Another 38 percent of young job seekers said working remotely was a work perk they looked for."
"What type of bereavement leave should you offer and how much? Who will be eligible for leave? How should employees notify you of their need for leave? Answering those types of questions in a comprehensive bereavement leave policy helps you manage employees' expectations and respond to leave requests when the time arises. So, what should you include in your bereavement leave policy?"
"[N]early half of employees surveyed said a prospective employer's remote work policy is considered an important factor when looking for a job.... [Of] those who wish their current companies allowed remote work scenarios, 37% have considered looking for a job that does, and 14% are actively looking.... 40% of employees said they'd consider taking a pay cut for the option to work remotely.... 53% of employees surveyed say they will switch jobs if a new employer offers them the option to work from home at least some of the time, while 31% of employees said they'd switch jobs if a new employer offered them the option to work from home."
"[T]he new law ... [allows] employees to request up to three hours of paid time off to vote, regardless of their work schedule. Previously, the law provided that an employee was entitled to time off only if the employee did not have four consecutive hours in which to vote between the opening of polls and the beginning of the employee's work shift, or the end of the employee's work shift and the close of polls.... The new law also relaxes employees' notice requirement."
"Effective immediately, New York's amended voting leave law requires employers to provide employees with 'up to three' hours of paid time off to vote at 'any election.' Further, employers must post a notice in the workplace outlining employees' rights under this new law not less than ten working days before every election."
"Among independent contractors, the share who were ages 55-64 increased from 18.8 percent to 22.9 percent; for those ages 65+, the share increased from 8.5 percent to 14.1 percent. In other words, 37 percent of independent contractors were older workers in 2017, up almost 10 percentage points since 2005."
"[In] Illinois, like a number of states, employers are required to keep track of employees' work hours as well as their vacation or PTO accruals and usage. The Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act requires employers to pay employees for any accrued, unused vacation or PTO remaining to them at the time of termination. But how does that work with an 'unlimited' PTO policy?"
"More than half of Americans left paid vacation days unused in 2017, adding up to 705 million unused days ... In 2016, American employers held a $272 billion vacation liability on their balance sheets ... The U.S. Travel Association, which sponsors the Project Time Off initiative, pays its employees $500 just to take all their vacation for the year. In 2014, the first year the benefit was offered, the association went from having 19 percent of employees using all of their leave to 91 percent. The cost was $26,000 to give the bonuses, and the association cut its vacation liabilities by over $36,000[.]"
"[S]tates have their own laws addressing which types of leave can be donated to leaving-sharing programs, so you should begin by examining applicable state law. Such laws typically focus on whether the PTO is 'accrued' or 'vested.'... Federal law doesn't prohibit employers from implementing leave-sharing programs. The predominant issue under federal law involves certain tax consequences."
"In a situation where an employee requires eight 15-minute breaks per day as a result of the employee's serious health condition, the DOL determined that the breaks were primarily for the benefit of the employee. Therefore, they are not compensable.... The DOL reminded employers that these employees must be compensated for the same number of breaks taken by co-workers."
"More than half (56 percent) of employers have a positive view of automation technologies that can help companies do human jobs, compared with 20 percent who are pessimistic ... On the employee side, nearly half (49 percent) are optimistic, while only a quarter (24 percent) are pessimistic.... Still, both employers and their workers have trouble reconciling their optimism around automation with their desire for human connection. About half of both groups (46 percent of employees, and 51 percent of employers) worry the workplace is becoming less human."
"39 percent of Americans 65 and older who are currently employed had previously retired. And more than half of those 50 and older who are not working and not searching for work said they would work if the 'right opportunity came along' ... This isn't about older folks returning to work because they need the dough. This is about older folks returning to work because they miss the challenges, the accomplishments and, most important, the collegiality."
53 pages. "This report provides a summary of the landscape of the aging workforce and key findings related to aging workers as well as employers. The report concludes with a vision of how aging employees and their employers can work together to ensure that they both prosper."
"90 percent of employees would choose extra vacation days (or a bonus) over a workplace holiday party.... [On] average, salaried employees in the U.S. with paid-time-off plans receive 17 days after one year of service, 22 days after five years, 25 days after 10 years of service and 28 days after 20 years (this includes vacation, sick days, etc.).... Most employers let workers carry over their paid leave time from one year to the next[.]"
"Already, nearly 1 in 6 employees in the US also provides care to parents, siblings, children, relatives, or friends. Half of today's working caregivers are Millennials and GenXers. Further, these numbers are projected to grow, with far more people needing care than those available to provide the care. We've learned that caregiving benefits can be powerful retention tools for employers, and supporting working caregivers doesn't have to be expensive."
"Benefits are almost as important as culture when considering a job offer, with a signing bonus and financial support for training topping the 'most wanted' list. Employers who offer health and dental, 401k contributions, and paid vacation time are probably not standing out from the crowd. Three-quarters of employers offer health and dental and two-thirds offer 401k and 3+ weeks of paid vacation."
"[G]rowing numbers of Americans are retiring from careers they've held for most of their lives and then returning to them, usually as part-time or contract workers. Even more are finding new jobs after a pause of months or years. In fact, a retirement that occurs just once and continues for the rest of one's life is becoming the exception."
"30 percent of employers that offer paid vacation allow workers to donate paid vacation days to colleagues who are dealing with a catastrophic illness or personal emergency, for example.... 28 percent of companies with paid-time-off plans [say] they permit employees to donate paid time off. Twenty-two percent of organizations that provide paid sick leave allow workers to donate sick leave.... While the pros to implementing a paid-time-off donation policy are indeed many, there are still many factors to consider before doing so."
"The [IRS] will not assert that cash payments an employer makes to Section 170(c) organizations in exchange for vacation, sick, or personal leave that its employees elect to forgo constitute gross income or wages of the employees if the payments are: [1] made to the Section 170(c) organizations for the relief of victims of Hurricane and Tropical Storm Irma; and [2] paid to the Section 170(c) organizations before January 1, 2019. Similarly, the Service will not assert that the opportunity to make such an election results in constructive receipt of gross income or wages for employees."
