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FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..

Member since 11/09

54917 total posts

Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Companies may find that they attract and more importantly RETAIN better talent if they are slightly flexible and treat their employees as adults- not children or prisoners.

Just a thought....




Amen

As a manager I would never dream of doing this to a valued employee.



Some of my best and most loyal employees are the ones I have shown some flexibility to.
This does not mean they can take advantage. But if they had to leave 1/2 early on Fridays to see a doctor, and asked to work through lunch or whatever, and they were trustworthy and responsible, then I see no issue with it.

I recently had someone come to me and ask if she could work from home FULL TIME because she couldn't afford daycare.
That was a a big no. For obvious reasons- the biggest of which is that would not be fair to my other employees who also have childcare costs.

But 1/2 an hour on a Friday afternoon- not worth making a good employee stress out.



I agree. But i also dont know if this is a fairness issue. If someone is a trustworthy great employee and they can do 100% of their work from home (or say 3/5 days) or whatever, i would be open to it. For those who havent earned that privilege then no.



The issue is I would be ok with 2 days a week- but my boss did not want to allow for 5 days a week as this is not really a "work from home position".
And then when I asked HR they said- it has to be fair for everyone and if you allow her to do it, then you have to allow the others to do it too if and when they ask.
And then we end up with a whole department of work from home employees and that isn't how our dept was designed.
I'm super flexible but making a position that is office based into a remote position for no good reason other than 'well I can't afford daycare' just wasn't going to fly.

Posted 1/30/19 3:58 PM
 
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PearlJamChick
No one sings like you anymore.

Member since 7/10

9264 total posts

Name:
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Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

From the perspective of HR, as someone else said - oftentimes when you make an exception for one person, and in this case their unique circumstance calls for leaving early on Fridays - suddenly you will get an avalanche of people who also want accommodations.

Making exceptions for people to adjust their schedule once in awhile - yeah, that’s awesome and most managers do that for their employees. This isn’t what we are talking about here.

Ongoing appointments that require leaving early on the regular - it’s in the best interest of the employee to have FMLA. If a person is going to their doctor anyway for these appointments, there is no big deal for them to have the doctor or nurse practitioner fill out the forms.

I can tell you from my experience on both sides of it, there is no harm in it.

Posted 1/30/19 5:43 PM
 

TwinMommyToBoys
LIF Adult

Member since 12/16

2346 total posts

Name:

FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Sounds ridiculous by the boss, but my job you can take intermitten FMLA for anything, even a half hour. Pretty much everyone gets approved I have intermittent FMLA for myself and my children my boss can’t ask me why I’m calling out protects my job and I use my time

Posted 1/30/19 8:23 PM
 

NYCGirl80
I love my kiddies!

Member since 5/11

10413 total posts

Name:

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Companies may find that they attract and more importantly RETAIN better talent if they are slightly flexible and treat their employees as adults- not children or prisoners.

Just a thought....




Amen

As a manager I would never dream of doing this to a valued employee.



Some of my best and most loyal employees are the ones I have shown some flexibility to.
This does not mean they can take advantage. But if they had to leave 1/2 early on Fridays to see a doctor, and asked to work through lunch or whatever, and they were trustworthy and responsible, then I see no issue with it.

I recently had someone come to me and ask if she could work from home FULL TIME because she couldn't afford daycare.
That was a a big no. For obvious reasons- the biggest of which is that would not be fair to my other employees who also have childcare costs.

But 1/2 an hour on a Friday afternoon- not worth making a good employee stress out.



I agree. But i also dont know if this is a fairness issue. If someone is a trustworthy great employee and they can do 100% of their work from home (or say 3/5 days) or whatever, i would be open to it. For those who havent earned that privilege then no.



The issue is I would be ok with 2 days a week- but my boss did not want to allow for 5 days a week as this is not really a "work from home position".
And then when I asked HR they said- it has to be fair for everyone and if you allow her to do it, then you have to allow the others to do it too if and when they ask.
And then we end up with a whole department of work from home employees and that isn't how our dept was designed.
I'm super flexible but making a position that is office based into a remote position for no good reason other than 'well I can't afford daycare' just wasn't going to fly.



Having the flexibility to work from home is one thing; doing it to replace childcare is completely different. If I'm working from home, I am working. If my child is home with me, I'm making snacks, entertaining them, etc. That's not working from home.

For the OP - I think that's completely inflexible of the company and would make me feel like I'm working for big brother. But, if it's a weekly thing, not just once in a while, it's better to go through FMLA if that will project your job.

Posted 1/31/19 11:10 AM
 

mrsrainbow
LIF Adult

Member since 1/17

1465 total posts

Name:

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Companies may find that they attract and more importantly RETAIN better talent if they are slightly flexible and treat their employees as adults- not children or prisoners.

Just a thought....




Amen

As a manager I would never dream of doing this to a valued employee.



Some of my best and most loyal employees are the ones I have shown some flexibility to.
This does not mean they can take advantage. But if they had to leave 1/2 early on Fridays to see a doctor, and asked to work through lunch or whatever, and they were trustworthy and responsible, then I see no issue with it.

I recently had someone come to me and ask if she could work from home FULL TIME because she couldn't afford daycare.
That was a a big no. For obvious reasons- the biggest of which is that would not be fair to my other employees who also have childcare costs.

But 1/2 an hour on a Friday afternoon- not worth making a good employee stress out.



I agree. But i also dont know if this is a fairness issue. If someone is a trustworthy great employee and they can do 100% of their work from home (or say 3/5 days) or whatever, i would be open to it. For those who havent earned that privilege then no.



The issue is I would be ok with 2 days a week- but my boss did not want to allow for 5 days a week as this is not really a "work from home position".
And then when I asked HR they said- it has to be fair for everyone and if you allow her to do it, then you have to allow the others to do it too if and when they ask.
And then we end up with a whole department of work from home employees and that isn't how our dept was designed.
I'm super flexible but making a position that is office based into a remote position for no good reason other than 'well I can't afford daycare' just wasn't going to fly.



And the devils advocate side is to say if someone can't afford daycare then maybe the company isn't paying enough (no imaginary hypoetheticals about their spending or debt - strictly talking in terms of wages) Chat Icon Chat Icon I am sure your company pays very wellChat Icon

Posted 1/31/19 12:07 PM
 

NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..

Member since 11/09

54917 total posts

Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Posted by mrsrainbow

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Companies may find that they attract and more importantly RETAIN better talent if they are slightly flexible and treat their employees as adults- not children or prisoners.

Just a thought....




Amen

As a manager I would never dream of doing this to a valued employee.



Some of my best and most loyal employees are the ones I have shown some flexibility to.
This does not mean they can take advantage. But if they had to leave 1/2 early on Fridays to see a doctor, and asked to work through lunch or whatever, and they were trustworthy and responsible, then I see no issue with it.

I recently had someone come to me and ask if she could work from home FULL TIME because she couldn't afford daycare.
That was a a big no. For obvious reasons- the biggest of which is that would not be fair to my other employees who also have childcare costs.

But 1/2 an hour on a Friday afternoon- not worth making a good employee stress out.



I agree. But i also dont know if this is a fairness issue. If someone is a trustworthy great employee and they can do 100% of their work from home (or say 3/5 days) or whatever, i would be open to it. For those who havent earned that privilege then no.



The issue is I would be ok with 2 days a week- but my boss did not want to allow for 5 days a week as this is not really a "work from home position".
And then when I asked HR they said- it has to be fair for everyone and if you allow her to do it, then you have to allow the others to do it too if and when they ask.
And then we end up with a whole department of work from home employees and that isn't how our dept was designed.
I'm super flexible but making a position that is office based into a remote position for no good reason other than 'well I can't afford daycare' just wasn't going to fly.



And the devils advocate side is to say if someone can't afford daycare then maybe the company isn't paying enough (no imaginary hypoetheticals about their spending or debt - strictly talking in terms of wages) Chat Icon Chat Icon I am sure your company pays very wellChat Icon



She is paid well for her skill level.
Daycare is expensive.
Not everyone warrants a 6 figure salary just to pay for their daycare, expenses, mortgage, etc.

I had a hard time paying for it too but I sucked it up and did it. Such is life....
And personally, I think she just wanted to work from home full time. Just a feeling a get after having her work for me for quite some time.
Regardless it's a moot point. I got shot down by my boss, his boss and HR when I asked so...

Posted 1/31/19 12:15 PM
 

mrsrainbow
LIF Adult

Member since 1/17

1465 total posts

Name:

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by mrsrainbow

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Companies may find that they attract and more importantly RETAIN better talent if they are slightly flexible and treat their employees as adults- not children or prisoners.

Just a thought....




Amen

As a manager I would never dream of doing this to a valued employee.



Some of my best and most loyal employees are the ones I have shown some flexibility to.
This does not mean they can take advantage. But if they had to leave 1/2 early on Fridays to see a doctor, and asked to work through lunch or whatever, and they were trustworthy and responsible, then I see no issue with it.

I recently had someone come to me and ask if she could work from home FULL TIME because she couldn't afford daycare.
That was a a big no. For obvious reasons- the biggest of which is that would not be fair to my other employees who also have childcare costs.

But 1/2 an hour on a Friday afternoon- not worth making a good employee stress out.



I agree. But i also dont know if this is a fairness issue. If someone is a trustworthy great employee and they can do 100% of their work from home (or say 3/5 days) or whatever, i would be open to it. For those who havent earned that privilege then no.



The issue is I would be ok with 2 days a week- but my boss did not want to allow for 5 days a week as this is not really a "work from home position".
And then when I asked HR they said- it has to be fair for everyone and if you allow her to do it, then you have to allow the others to do it too if and when they ask.
And then we end up with a whole department of work from home employees and that isn't how our dept was designed.
I'm super flexible but making a position that is office based into a remote position for no good reason other than 'well I can't afford daycare' just wasn't going to fly.



And the devils advocate side is to say if someone can't afford daycare then maybe the company isn't paying enough (no imaginary hypoetheticals about their spending or debt - strictly talking in terms of wages) Chat Icon Chat Icon I am sure your company pays very wellChat Icon



She is paid well for her skill level.
Daycare is expensive.
Not everyone warrants a 6 figure salary just to pay for their daycare, expenses, mortgage, etc.

I had a hard time paying for it too but I sucked it up and did it. Such is life....
And personally, I think she just wanted to work from home full time. Just a feeling a get after having her work for me for quite some time.
Regardless it's a moot point. I got shot down by my boss, his boss and HR when I asked so...



I get it

Posted 1/31/19 12:43 PM
 

RainyDay
LIF Adult

Member since 6/15

3986 total posts

Name:

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by mrsrainbow

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Companies may find that they attract and more importantly RETAIN better talent if they are slightly flexible and treat their employees as adults- not children or prisoners.

Just a thought....




Amen

As a manager I would never dream of doing this to a valued employee.



Some of my best and most loyal employees are the ones I have shown some flexibility to.
This does not mean they can take advantage. But if they had to leave 1/2 early on Fridays to see a doctor, and asked to work through lunch or whatever, and they were trustworthy and responsible, then I see no issue with it.

I recently had someone come to me and ask if she could work from home FULL TIME because she couldn't afford daycare.
That was a a big no. For obvious reasons- the biggest of which is that would not be fair to my other employees who also have childcare costs.

But 1/2 an hour on a Friday afternoon- not worth making a good employee stress out.



I agree. But i also dont know if this is a fairness issue. If someone is a trustworthy great employee and they can do 100% of their work from home (or say 3/5 days) or whatever, i would be open to it. For those who havent earned that privilege then no.



The issue is I would be ok with 2 days a week- but my boss did not want to allow for 5 days a week as this is not really a "work from home position".
And then when I asked HR they said- it has to be fair for everyone and if you allow her to do it, then you have to allow the others to do it too if and when they ask.
And then we end up with a whole department of work from home employees and that isn't how our dept was designed.
I'm super flexible but making a position that is office based into a remote position for no good reason other than 'well I can't afford daycare' just wasn't going to fly.



And the devils advocate side is to say if someone can't afford daycare then maybe the company isn't paying enough (no imaginary hypoetheticals about their spending or debt - strictly talking in terms of wages) Chat Icon Chat Icon I am sure your company pays very wellChat Icon



She is paid well for her skill level.
Daycare is expensive.
Not everyone warrants a 6 figure salary just to pay for their daycare, expenses, mortgage, etc.

I had a hard time paying for it too but I sucked it up and did it. Such is life....
And personally, I think she just wanted to work from home full time. Just a feeling a get after having her work for me for quite some time.
Regardless it's a moot point. I got shot down by my boss, his boss and HR when I asked so...




Hey atleast you are a cool enough boss to have even asked. Most wouldnt even bother

Posted 1/31/19 1:40 PM
 

b2b777
LIF Adult

Member since 9/09

4474 total posts

Name:

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Posted by NYCGirl80

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Posted by b2b777

Posted by NervousNell

Companies may find that they attract and more importantly RETAIN better talent if they are slightly flexible and treat their employees as adults- not children or prisoners.

Just a thought....




Amen

As a manager I would never dream of doing this to a valued employee.



Some of my best and most loyal employees are the ones I have shown some flexibility to.
This does not mean they can take advantage. But if they had to leave 1/2 early on Fridays to see a doctor, and asked to work through lunch or whatever, and they were trustworthy and responsible, then I see no issue with it.

I recently had someone come to me and ask if she could work from home FULL TIME because she couldn't afford daycare.
That was a a big no. For obvious reasons- the biggest of which is that would not be fair to my other employees who also have childcare costs.

But 1/2 an hour on a Friday afternoon- not worth making a good employee stress out.



I agree. But i also dont know if this is a fairness issue. If someone is a trustworthy great employee and they can do 100% of their work from home (or say 3/5 days) or whatever, i would be open to it. For those who havent earned that privilege then no.



The issue is I would be ok with 2 days a week- but my boss did not want to allow for 5 days a week as this is not really a "work from home position".
And then when I asked HR they said- it has to be fair for everyone and if you allow her to do it, then you have to allow the others to do it too if and when they ask.
And then we end up with a whole department of work from home employees and that isn't how our dept was designed.
I'm super flexible but making a position that is office based into a remote position for no good reason other than 'well I can't afford daycare' just wasn't going to fly.



Having the flexibility to work from home is one thing; doing it to replace childcare is completely different. If I'm working from home, I am working. If my child is home with me, I'm making snacks, entertaining them, etc. That's not working from home.

For the OP - I think that's completely inflexible of the company and would make me feel like I'm working for big brother. But, if it's a weekly thing, not just once in a while, it's better to go through FMLA if that will project your job.



Agreed 100% -- working from home/not affording daycare are definitely two different things

Posted 1/31/19 4:08 PM
 

hmm
Sweet

Member since 1/14

7983 total posts

Name:

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Thank you all. Management stated they often get ask from many people to change their schedule and they cant do for one and not others. HR thought is was not an issue to adjust by 1/2 to 1 hr but dept head decides and the answer was no.


They adjust every Friday for those following shabbat, they come in early all week and leave by 2 PM on Friday. Not my department. I get they have no choice for religious reasons

Being asked to use fmla felt scary and Odd. working from home for a few months might be an option, its not my thing but will investigate further.

Message edited 1/31/2019 8:55:25 PM.

Posted 1/31/19 8:55 PM
 

hmm
Sweet

Member since 1/14

7983 total posts

Name:

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Posted by PearlJamChick

Posted by Tulip9

that's what FMLA is for- there is nothing wrong with what the employer is doing. I manage a decent sized staff- 20 people trust me if I made an exception for 1 person I would have 19 other people who need to have exceptions made for them.



Exactly.

Edit to add: up until recently, I worked in HR for 15+ years, during which time I did apply for FMLA because I had loads of doctor appointments. Even when the appointments dwindled down, I still reapplied for FMLA because although my team knew what was going on, having something on record to show why I was coming in late or leaving early covered everyone’s best interests, mine included.




The latter part of what you wrote, is why HR thinks I should use it. Its on record, if anyone wants to cause an issues, I spoke to HR and management prior and I'm covered.

I have to use an hour per FMLA rules (or so they said) but will use half that time in PTO.

It just felt odd to be offered that since I'm not taking weeks off just 2 -4 hours a month

Posted 1/31/19 9:04 PM
 

hmm
Sweet

Member since 1/14

7983 total posts

Name:

Re: FLMA to take 1/2 hr to one hour off a week, anyone from HR

Posted by LInMI

Ugh! It sounds like we work at the same company. I was in a similar situation. My boss actually was the one who approached HR and wanted me to take an hour a week FMLA. However, HR had my back and in short, told him it's time to be flexible and we don't have strict policies about this because life isn't cookie cutter and things may come up for some ppl.

I would just fill out the paperwork and take the hour FMLA per week for the peace of mind. Good luck!




are they making you use your PTO in conjunction?

Posted 1/31/19 9:06 PM
 
Pages: 1 [2]
 

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