• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Giving leave time to employees

October 22, 2008
Phil Seibert, CVT

Employees must meet a variety of requirements to qualify for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

I know it's hard to believe, but life happens beyond the walls of your practice. Employees have babies, develop serious health conditions, or need to take care of a loved one. The Family and Medical Leave Act allows eligible staff members to take leave for up to a total of 12 work weeks during any 12 month-period for:

Advertisement
  • the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child

  • the adoption or foster care of a new baby or child

  • the care of a family member, child, spouse, or parent with a serious health condition

  • a serious health condition that makes the staff member unable to perform his or her job.

In order to be eligible for FMLA leave, a staff member must meet certain criteria and the practice must employ 50 or more staff members for each working day during 20 or more work weeks in the current or preceding calendar year. Now, if you employ fewer than 50 people, remember that a happy staff is a productive staff. Just because you're not required to offer unpaid leave doesn't mean you can't offer it.

A staff member is eligible if he or she:

  • has been employed by the practice for at least 12 months.

  • has worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 months immediately preceding the beginning of the leave.

  • works at a location with 50 or more employees who all work within a 75-mile radius.

Did you get all that? There's more. In most cases, FMLA leave is unpaid. However, the practice can require the staff member to use any accrued or earned paid leave before the start of unpaid FMLA leave. The staff member may take the leave on an intermittent basis rather than all at once, or he or she may work part time if it meets the needs of the practice and that staff member. And although the intermittent use of FMLA benefits is allowed, it doesn't give the staff member an excuse for tardiness. Practices that fall under FMLA guidelines should have a written policy stipulating that leave must be taken in increments consistent with the practice's payroll system. For example, if the smallest amount of time the payroll system recognizes is a quarter of an hour, then employees can take FMLA time only in quarter-hour increments and with advance approval.

A staff member on FMLA leave is entitled to the same health benefits he or she received while working. After the leave ends, the staff member has a right to return to the same position or a similar one with equivalent pay, benefits, and working conditions.

Phil Seibert, CVT, is an author, speaker, and consultant with SafetyVet in Calhoun, Tenn. Send questions or comments to ve@advanstar.com.

Related Content:

Personnel Management
Veterinary-owned management companies: Why not?
Veterinary-owned management companies: Why not?
How to be the practice of choice
How to be the practice of choice
Why difficult conversations are the most important ones to have
Why difficult conversations are the most important ones to have

Advertisement

Latest News

CE: Why tapeworms matter

Freshpet and Petco partner launch fresh pet food subscription

AAHA Con heads to San Diego

VHMA announces latest class of CVPMs

View More Latest News
Advertisement