babsvd
11-20-2007, 09:55 AM
I am an employer that up until a year ago, only employed family members. Due to death, age and marital status changes, all our family members are no longer in our employ. So we have in the last year needed to hire outside the family. So I am at a lost with how to deal with some situations we have encountered since.
One issue is 'unpaid' days off. We give everyone a week of sick leave a year(although being the owners we can never take a day off). I have two employees who have repeated unpaid 'sick days', because they use sick leave faster than they can earn it. I have an employee that is a really good worker when he is here, but he has missed a total of 18 days in 6 months. I know he has told me he has stomach problems, and I try to be patient. But we are a small company and his absense really has an impact on work getting done on a timely manner. I myself have a major medical issue, but I am here every single day, I work thru my aches and pains. I always have, as does my husband. My dad was the same way, as all my family is. We would only not come into work, if we are contagious. But have a headache or ache or pain, and we work our 8 hours and have the other 16 hours a day to rest. But basically this is his 4th day in a row off for this employee, and we will not hit our deadlines we have promised customers, because being a small company, we can't make up his 32 hours of work he has missed. My husband & I already work 12 to 14 hour days, as is required of the majority of self employed people(and no we are not getting rich doing it, for those of you that have never been self employed to understand what your employer goes thru). So my question is, how long is an employer required to be put in this position? My understanding is that if you miss 3 days of work, you are required to bring a doctors note. Is that true? Is it a law, or general practice of most businesses. This employee has opted out of our medical plan, so I do not think he has medical insurance, nor a can afford to see a doctor. So what are my options?
Thanks!
One issue is 'unpaid' days off. We give everyone a week of sick leave a year(although being the owners we can never take a day off). I have two employees who have repeated unpaid 'sick days', because they use sick leave faster than they can earn it. I have an employee that is a really good worker when he is here, but he has missed a total of 18 days in 6 months. I know he has told me he has stomach problems, and I try to be patient. But we are a small company and his absense really has an impact on work getting done on a timely manner. I myself have a major medical issue, but I am here every single day, I work thru my aches and pains. I always have, as does my husband. My dad was the same way, as all my family is. We would only not come into work, if we are contagious. But have a headache or ache or pain, and we work our 8 hours and have the other 16 hours a day to rest. But basically this is his 4th day in a row off for this employee, and we will not hit our deadlines we have promised customers, because being a small company, we can't make up his 32 hours of work he has missed. My husband & I already work 12 to 14 hour days, as is required of the majority of self employed people(and no we are not getting rich doing it, for those of you that have never been self employed to understand what your employer goes thru). So my question is, how long is an employer required to be put in this position? My understanding is that if you miss 3 days of work, you are required to bring a doctors note. Is that true? Is it a law, or general practice of most businesses. This employee has opted out of our medical plan, so I do not think he has medical insurance, nor a can afford to see a doctor. So what are my options?
Thanks!
