"Managing maternity leave is a challenge for all employers, but the prospect of a key team member being away for up to a year can be a particular concern for small businesses," says consultant Cecily Lalloo of Aylesbury-based Embrace HR, which provides HR advice and support to SMEs. Tumelty says the same rules and good practice apply when recruiting temporary replacements ("having a clear job description and person specification will help when considering applicants"), and you should aim to integrate the new person quickly and efficiently, providing guidance, support and training where necessary. As a small business owner, determining the number of sick days to give your employee can be confusing. "No matter how large or small the organization, most employers want to create a workplace culture that supports employees in times of need," said Martin Mucci, Paychex president and CEO. For the business to maintain a healthy relationship with its workforce even with the presence of these scenarios, a leave policy must be established. It is not only the policy examples in PDF, Word or Excel that matter but also on how you execute the content of the leave policy document that you have made. Listed below are some of the tips that can help you come up with an outstanding leave policy. So you have a generous maternity leave policy in … It’s available in Word format. "In return, workers receive wage replacement at a rate of 66.7% of weekly wages up to a maximum of $637 per week in 2018," White said. You may also see the attendance policy. There will have been significant changes for them and possibly your business since they've been away. Many organizations start fresh with vacation days each calendar year, and employees know how many days they have to use that year. State laws regarding FMLA guidelines vary–determine exactly which guidelines your business is under, and stay compliant. Talk to your employee and make sure important information about their role is written down for handover. 2. A leave policy ensures that rules and regulations about the use of leave credits are set. Here's a quick look at two of the most common types of paid leave policies. Are U.S. employers required to offer paid leave? You may also see travel policy. Learn more. Are they affordable, or do they unbearably balloon entrepreneurs' budgets? "Staying in touch with them is extremely important," she stresses. "Some delay unnecessarily, rather than starting to plan and act as soon as they're told about the pregnancy," Lalloo replies. This includes the procedures that should be followed when filing a leave and the guidelines that can assess whether a particular leave from work will be paid or not. In one recent case, when a top performer received an award at a luncheon, she was taken aback when her boss casually said, Youre not gonna get pregnant now, are you? As long as you plan ahead and it is well managed, maternity leave need not be a problem for your firm, New arrival: SMEs should start to plan ahead as soon as they are told of a staff pregnancy. The law also now applies to companies with 30 full-time employees or more, rather than the previous 50. You can reach her on Twitter or by email. In many cases, this means workers who need to take time off to care for themselves or their family members must do so without pay or the job protections that many paid leave regulations offer to eligible employees. The details of the leaves that your employees are entitled to use. But what do these policies mean for workers and small businesses? 5. After many months at home with their baby some mums lose confidence and KIT days are a great way of easing their journey back to work. She worked as a marketing copywriter after graduating with her bachelor’s in English from Miami University (OH) and now writes on small business, social media, and marketing. It's a minimal standard at a minimal cost to employers.". Do they contribute to staff wellbeing and productivity? 2. What do you do if you're in the family way and you either work for, or want to work for, a start-up. Let’s take a took at the legal guidelines businesses must follow for maternity leave and outline why it’s important for your business to have a clear policy that’s understood by all employees. The policy doesn't cost employers anything and is often viewed as favorable benefit, because it offers another layer of financial security for workers on leave. ", Tumelty advises starting to plan as soon as your staff member tells you she is pregnant. "But if they dismiss the staff member on maternity leave, they risk being taken to an employment tribunal – and they will lose. You may also see the quality policy. This website contains articles posted for informational and educational value. (Zisumbo v. McLeo… The number of leave credits that an employee has within an operational year. In addition, paid maternity leave is a great way to separate your company from your competitors, allowing you to retain your best employees. Remember, employers should be aware of the laws and regulations as defined under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on how they should be paying their exempt employees when they are summoned for jury duty.