Attendance Policies: How to Structure an Enforceable Plan

WEBINAR

Attendance Policies:
How to Structure an Enforceable Plan

Wednesday, May 20 • 1:00 p.m. (Eastern)

When attendance expectations clash with employee rights

As an employer, you expect those you hire to show up when scheduled. After all, work can’t get done without employees to do it. But people get sick. Dental appointments happen. Young employees start families and older employees end up caring for their parents. Workers with disabilities encounter setbacks.

Religious beliefs and practices require occasional time off, even during busy seasons. Reservists are called to active duty during military engagements and weather emergencies. These are only a fraction of the absence reasons you might encounter—many protected by state and federal laws.

The FMLA, the ADA, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and a ton of other laws guarantee employees these rights. However, those laws also have their limits. You need an attendance policy that makes it clear that attendance is essential, but with built-in checks that ensure you’re not illegally enforcing it.

On May 20, join employment lawyer Anniken Davenport as she walks you through everything you need to know to craft an attendance policy that balances those needs. You’ll learn how to address legally protected absences, and what expectations you need to have in writing to cover your organization.

WEBINAR AGENDA:

Why you need a formal attendance policy. Learn how to structure a policy that establishes attendance as an essential job function.
How the FMLA impacts absenteeism. Understand when intermittent absences are a protected right and how they affect your attendance policies.
Tracking absences while staying compliant. Learn how to account for FMLA, PWFA and ADA absences in performance evaluations and no-fault attendance policies.
Handling attendance issues with disabled workers. Discover how to prove attendance is an essential job function while complying with ADA regulations.
Accommodating pregnancy-related absences. Reasonably accommodate pregnancy-related absences and restrictions before and after birth under the PWFA.
PUMP Act compliance. Manage unlimited milk-expression breaks under the PUMP Act rules.
How military leave impacts attendance. Learn the rules under USERRA, including extended absences for active duty.
Spotting and addressing leave abuse. Identify red flags and implement strategies to prevent misuse of protected leave.
Balancing religious accommodations. With strict Supreme Court rules and an administration that’s serious about protecting religious rights, update your attendance rules to accommodate religious absences.

✔ Create a policy statement and outline an attendance policy. Emphasize the importance of regular attendance while accommodating employees’ medical, religious, military and family-related needs.

✔ Determine eligibility and coverage. Specify who is eligible for FMLA and clarify what ADA and PWFA coverage entitle workers to.

✔ Enforce your policy. Outline the potential consequences for noncompliance with the attendance policy, ensuring that all disciplinary actions will be within legal regulations.

PRESENTED BY:

Anniken Davenport is a noted employment law attorney and the legal analyst and senior editor of HR Employment Law Advisor. She has authored several books, including the Employer’s Practical Legal Guide and Bullet-Proof Your Employee Handbook. Anniken has served as a professor at Penn State University, where she taught business law and HR management, and she directed the Legal Studies Program at Wilson College.

REGISTRATION BONUSES:

Everyone who signs up will receive a copy of Attendance Policies: FMLA, Military and Sick Leave. This white paper will walk you through the creation or updating of policies related to FMLA, military and sick leave. We’ll tell you what you must include, with sample language to send to employees and/or include in your policy manuals. This reference will prove invaluable for your HR department.

You’ll also receive one month of exclusive access to The HR Weekly, our comprehensive service with all the HR advice and compliance tools to simplify your job … and to keep your organization out of court. So that you continue to benefit from The HR Weekly, we will continue your subscription after that for the then current rate, unless you tell us “no, thanks”—your choice.

RECERTIFICATION CREDITS:

Business Management Daily is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDC) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

This Program has been pre-approved for 1.25 HR (General) credit hours toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).

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