Serious HR Question That is Bugging Me

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It seems to me that a company is not obligated to accommodate the hours of your doctor - or your kid's school, or anything else you may (personally) need to attend to. Many companies don't even want you spending sick time on doctor's visits, at least not from my experience. If you have a bunch of sick hours built up, and you lose a few of them, what's really the harm?

When it comes to things like that, whether it be in business, with family (especially kids), or with life in general, I always look at the "chip" analogy. We have a limited number of "chips" we can spend on issues. And borrowing from the book, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff", I never spend my chips on the "small stuff". Because if you do, you'll find yourself without enough "chips" to tackle the things that really DO matter. (If you know what I mean.)

I know I can't speak of your own employment laws but they REALLY don't have that many differences between US and Canada in this respect.

A company hat pays you salary now compared to one 15 years ago is in a much different position.

It USED to be that if you were salaried , you were paid regardless of hours worked.

NOW, salary is just a glorified term for hourly wage, it's kinda like placing a salary cap on an emloyee, you can't earn more, but they can deduct your wages if you are not at work.

THis does differ based on your employment contract, IF you have it in writing that they wil pay you a fixed monthly wage, then you will get a fixed salary.

If not, it is actually quite flexible but toward the employers benefit, as opposed to the EMPLOYEES benefit as it used to be.

In order to be certain, call you LOCAL employment standards branch, get the details and laws surrounding YOUR state.

They will also act anonymously on your behalf if the boss needs to be reminded of the laws.

But from my perspective, under the employment standards act ammendments of 2002, they do not HAVE to pay you for that time,however most do anyway.

First, talk to HR. Don't complain, just tell them about your situation and ask what company policy is. You'd be surprised how many company policies leave a lot up to the discretion of the individual manager. And how many managers don't know company policy.

If there is a policy and your manager is following it, you're stuck.

If there is a policy and your manager is passing his own rules that are stricter than they need to be, then you must talk to the manager. There's a reason he or she is treating you this way. It could be ignorance of the rules, it could be the relationship you've established with him or her isn't so great, or he or she might just be a big jerk. In any of these cases you may have to spend some of your "chips," but at least you know that you have HR on your side so the manager is treading on dangerous ground by making his or her own rules.

If the company is so small that there simply is no policy, then you need to talk to a lawyer. Find out what the laws are in your state and whether the company is violating them, which could be the case if they're enforcing a rule that isn't in your contract. Again, you might have to cash in a "chip" to change things.

But it always helps to know where you stand.

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You said you're, "starting to not enjoy this place anymore for MANY reasons".

Man, oh man, can I relate. I know exactly what you mean. Without exception, absolutely EVERY morning I ask myself why I'm going to "that place" again. One of these days.......

Hey, at 7:00 eastern time, have a beer, and so will I. Then we can "cry in our beer" together and think about how we hate our jobs - and how we're disappointed in ourselves for not doing anything about it.

We can compare notes some other time.

Have a good one.

If you are an exempt employee, then your employer can not deduct your sick time unless it's made in conjunction with a bona fide sick pay policy that provides payment for
absences that occur because of illness. Some employers may require you to work the minimum hours each week that your staff do. If you can get your work done in 15 hours per week, employers are still required to give you your full pay. Another thing. Deductions from salary may not be made for partial days of absence, regardless of the reason.

I once worked for an employer who did the same thing.
We had to take vacation time or no pay for any "lost" hours.

After an anonymous complaint to the state labor board about this and several other "irregularities" in their pay practices, a number of changes were suddenly made in company policy:

Salaried employees could no longer be "docked" for taking an hour or 2 off during the work day, so long as they had their supervisors approval.

Nor, could they be docked or forced to work additional hours for an occasional "tardy".

Vacation time (we had no sick time) could only be taken in whole day increments.

So, as I understand it, US labor law does require that a salaried employee be paid for the entire day even if they take an hour or 2 off on occasion.

That said, as a "general rule" HR departments follow the line set by upper management for policies.
You will likely get no satisfaction if you complain to HR.
In fact, you are apt to get your name added to a list of "trouble makers", and potential wistleblowers should you raise the issue.

Other than this one job (the employer is rather draconian) EVERY salaried position that I have had has NOT docked me for any "reasonable" time away from work during the workday.

Chas

Do you put in Extra time on those days - rather than starting at 7 - you start at 5 - or rather than quiting at 4 to work till 7 ... do you give the company back the time???

I have been in the same boat for the past 7 months... and put in extra time each day (1 or 2 hours) - when I have a doctors appointment - I cash in that time...

If you aren't giving back the time - then yepper - they can take that time off your sick hours... If you do put in the time - ask you boss why he isn't counting that time...

A lot of people, new to managerment are insecure in there positions and think that by stringent cost cutting they can make themselves appear more efficient by lowering overhead. It can reach levels of asininity, to a point where employees have to charge requisitions for pencils and paper clips to job numbers so they don't show up on departmental overhead. It looks good to the senior management when initially costs go down but it will often destroy employee morale and productivity as the easy going attitudes of a previous manager are done away with and resentments to these new methods set in. Soon people start to slowly drop away and the remaining staff grows increasingly resentful. Unfortunately this can go on until management wakes up to the turnover in what previously had been a contented staff. I somehow feel you have a new manager on the scene who is trying to prove himself and make himself look good on the backs of his staff. Perhaps senior management is unaware of the situation but eventually the decreased productivity will show up in lost profit growth and longer delays caused by the fact new staff has not risen to the previous output of thr old staff. I am making this assumption on the basis that you seem to have lost your previous enthusiasm and that is usually caused by a manager change. Your resentments are possibly causing a minor personality conflict with your new manager and he feels he has to show you who the boss is. You can try to keep your resentments in check and sit down with him and feel him out on the idea of working flex time to cover this situation. One other possibility is that he is a workaholic and he expects everyone to perform up to his level. If thats the case dust off your resume and start floating it around and you might even start the process by asking for a transfer to another department. You do not want to state any dissatisfaction with your manager openly. Managers are often leary of poaching staff from other departments so if you go shopping for a transfer look to acquire your new boss on a higher rung of the food chain than your current boss and it wouldn't do any harm if it is someone who is not particularly impressed with your current boss. From the sounds of it you seem a tad overstressed and this could have something to do with your medical problems and could be used as a valid reason for a transfer. All this is assumption on my part and I could be totally out in left field but if I were a betting man I doubt I'm far off. I have no idea what your personal responsibilities are but again I'm assuming the traditional wife and 2.4 kids which also adds to your stress if your not happy with your job or boss and are feeling insecure. Have you thought of moving more to management and getting away from tech? You said you were in the job for eight years and in my day that used to be considered a lifetime. The changes that are in the pipeline are going to mean more learning just to maintain your current position but if you move towards the management side you can turn the intensity levels of the learning down a notch. I can remember when I was a hard charger and at the time I loved it but in the end it cost me a marriage and my kids, for a while. Whatever your decision is going to be, make sure that the sacrifices you will be making are worth it. For me, I took the job option but my marriage was not exactly solid, not her fault nor mine but one of those things where people grow in different directions and each has different goals in mind. Yes there were times of regret but I wouldn't be where I am if I had done it differently and I probably still would have ended up divorced. I am not the easiest person in the world to live with, as I grew up an only child and have always lived my life pretty much on my own terms and gotten my own way. I am thankful I'm in the position I'm in because now I delegate to others the a lot of the stuff I used to do but I try to remember that not everyone is as driven to the extent I was. Those were my choices but they don't have to be yours. What you need right now is to assess your situation maybe with your wife but that will be your decision not mine. You have to decide what you want, how badly you want it and what you are prepared to sacrifice to achieve it. When we are yong and foolish we enter the workforce full of piss and vinegar hoping someday to rise to be CEO. By now you should be able to evaluate the likelihood of your chances and alter your plans on a more realistic basis. Not everyone is meant to be a CEO otherwise we would all be living in a nation of chiefs with no indians. So take stock of things carefully and don't make any snap decisions. I hope everything works out as you desire and that your medical problems are not too serious. Ciao.

We have no such "laws" in the UK. My contract states the number of hours I have to work each week.

I use UserLogger which records when I sign on and off of my PC. Then I give management a report each week. If you can show you are putting in the hours (plus some) then they shouldn't deduct pay.

Those not on the hours per week rule are required to book holiday for dental appointments! We get more "holiday" than you but no "sick time"!

Being an employer, I sit on the other side of the discussion, and dont believe its an HR issue. Have you discussed the problem with the VP and explained that the tests that are being done.

From his/her side they just see you going off regularly and have a right to question. If you have shown your loyalty to them, they will do the same to you. Make sure you talk to the right person, (even if it means the CEO) and you will be heard.

The employer has every legal action to deduct sick time for sick / doctor appointments. That is what the time is for, doctor visits, actual sick days, mental health days, etc. Do you work the two extra hours at work that you are absent? If not, then the time should be deducted. Why don't you simply read the handbook in your HR department that should explain the uses of sick leave.

I am a state employee of PA and here it is an employee at will state. I have been dealing with my own on going health issues and have found that the labor laws here seriously favor the employer. I (as a state salaried managerial employee) have had all my paid leave time used and in order to keep from being fired for poor attendance needed to invoke my Federal Family Leave Act Rights. This is a Federal standard that at least protects you from loosing your job for a valid serious health problem. All Employers need to adhere to this in some form. You are not guaranteed to be paid for the time you take for doctors? appointments but they can't fire you as long as you are under this umbrella.

Every state has there own employment laws so you need to check in with the Labor and Industry and the Equal Employment Opportunity agencies in your state to see what the specifics are for you. But all the states need to provide for adherence to the Federal Family Medical Leave Act. And just for the record I have finally been diagnosed with MS. So this will be an ongoing condition for the rest of my life that this employer will need to learn to deal with.

The Fair Labor Standards Act and subsequent revisions address this issue. Salaried employees, with limited exception, may not have pay deducted when they have worked any part of a day. Employers in the United States are generally free to administer Leave policies, Sick Leave Policies, and Vacation Leave policies as they deem appropriate so long as policies are applied equally.

The sad fact is that unless you are a member of a protected class, or an hourly employee, employers have most of the power.

On a personal note, be thankful you are employed - many are not these days.

Because you have used so little sick time you should tell the HR people that this is an area of company policy you are unfamiliar with and would like to know what the company's policy actually is. There should be something in writing that they can give you that would cover the ins and outs of this policy. This will help you out unless it was written in a bunch of legal language, then you may need an interpreter.

I believe FMLA is only valid if the company has 50 or more employees, and you have to be employed at the company for at least 12 months. This is a sketchy memory from a project I worked on with our HR department 2 years ago, so you may want to check out the details.

As a supervisor, when I have someone take off one time during the day for a Dr's appointment, I don't worry about sick time entries as they are usually uncommon occurances. As salaried employee's they are being paid to do a job versus working x hours.

However, if the need to see a Dr. is very frequent for an hour or two a day, then I would need to record the time as sick leave. When the employee is chronically gone to see the Dr, recording the sick time is for their job protection and mine. Otherwise, it would look like they are taking time off on company time and that would lead to another suite of problems.

The recording of sick time is not a mark of degradation, punishment, a bad mark. It is the recording of time. Besides, you are truly leaving for health related issues, why wouldn't it be sick time?

There have been several good suggestions and observations made in these posts. I tend to agree with DC Guys's comments. In any event, you should find out for yourself where you stand by checking the Dept of Labor website on leave benefits at http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/benefits-leave/index.htm
It may point you in the right direction on how to proceed with your situation.
I wish you the best, and hope your health is restored.

I have read TomSal's predicament several times and most of the answers and am still puzzled. You say that you have accrued 100+ hours of 'sick time' over many years of exemplorary work record, that is good. What are the 100 hours of sick time for? In my working life, the accrual of sick hours has always been like a savings bank account. Good work record deposits "X" number of hours per year, which becomes your accrual.(or savings) If you have to not be at work for medical (or related) reasons, that is a debit against your health savings.

You suffer no penalty, no loss of pay, no recriminations, simply a deduction from your savings.(sick hours accumulated) When you ARE working, your salary is cost against whatever product or service your company provides. When you are recorded as sick (2 hours at Specialist) that cost becomes a cost against company overheads and shouldn't therefore impact directly on the cost of the individual goods or service provided.

It is still, obviously, an operating cost needing to be recovered, but can be charged against Admin instead of loading the actual product or service cost.

Sick hours accrued are the allocation the company makes to you in case you are unwell. Their purpose is to be there for you to use, as you have been doing, when you need to seek medical help.

I see no problem in your drawing from those savings or in your company recording the withdrawls

Why do you think your employer offers you sick time?

Why do you think your employer offers you sick time?

Sick time? What's that? You're complaining that you had a few hours of your 100 sick hours used because you missed some work? As a salaried employee what is sick time? You get to carry it over year after year? Do you also keep track of the extra hours you put in and complain about that? My perks I get on Friday in the form of $$$. Beyond that, complain to your boss or suck it up.

Show up to work, do your work, get paid, check clears, play.

Sorry if I seem harsh, but this is all too formal for me and most small companies. First I don't see why they docked you the hours, but if that is what the sick/personal time is for and not just illnesses, then so what.

Talk about anal, how about the suggestions of legal advice and checking government websites over a few sick hours. No wonder IT jobs are going overseas. Get a grip.

Try this one, a couple of years ago, the week after the holiday bonus, we closed for a day because of a weekday xmas/extra long weekend and we were slow, and only the vp's & up got paid. Plus we had just finished doing our semi-annual inventory in which many of us had already worked more than 40 hours for that week. He giveth and he taketh away, but he giveth plenty.

TomSal,

While states may differ in their labor laws, your situation seems to be in line with my experiences in two states. It does not appear to be out of line. But, check with your company's HR folks (calmly) to decipher their "off" time policies. Most seem to have programs for vacation, sick time (which includes doctor visits), and bereavement.

I think the best thing you can do for yourself is have a sit-down with your manager and explain what is going on in detail. See if you can work out an arrangement whereby you can make up for the lost work time by working after hours so your total for the week is 40 (assuming this is the basis of your work week). If this is not acceptable, a more forceful approach with your manager may be in order.

Also, put yourself in the company's position for a moment and see how they would look at your situation across the board for all employees. Do you know of any who would abuse such a system?

I'm not sure of all of the Rules and Regulations. It differs from state to state. However, my employer only deducts the time if you don't make it up. It's on the honor system. Also, check your HR policies for the definition of "Full-Time", then check your Job description. Many places full-time is defined as being 36 hours per week or more. If your job description defines you as "Full-Time", then you are only obligated to work 36 hours. If it says 40 hours, then you are obligated for the full 40.

However, if you normally work over 40 hours (like most IT people do), then they shouldn't be using your sick time. Keep track of the hours you work, then every single pay period take it up with HR and payroll. Log your in and out times, as well as lunches, etc... Not to mention if you use your lunch time to go to the Dr. they shouldn't deduct that time. Good Luck.

First of all, to summarize what you're saying: you're taking a lot of time off work for doctors appointments, and you think the company should be compensating you by paying you for this time you are not at work. I won't speak to that perspective, but I can speak to the law, and our company policy as written and unwritten.

I am an agent of the company and administrate our HR policy as I see fit for my employees. It sounds like you're taking an adversarial approach which will get you nowhere. Having a boss who's willing to go to bat for you (or ignore some of your time off) is going to get you a lot further than complaining to HR (who, I'm sure, has made sure all their company policies are legal--labor laws are fairly simple). You may also want to consider that "not paying you for time you're not working" is perfectly legal.

First off, in California, there is a classification of employee (assigned by the state) that is determined by >job function<, NOT by years worked at a company, importance to management, or whatever. These are "exempt" (what you call salaried) and "non-exempt". Exempt employees have more flexibility in their hours, but they also can be legally required to work 100 hour weeks. Non-exempt employees (hourly) have little flexibility in their hours, but also legally have access to benefits like overtime if they are required to work hours greater than a certain amount in a given period (more than an 8 hour shift, or more than 40 hours in a week, for example).

That frames this whole issue as a variable, since you have not told me your job function. A company can not simply see that an employee is pulling down mega-overtime and reclassify them as exempt (salaried) to save themselves some dough. There is no choice in the matter in this state.

With non-exempt classified employees (classification is determined by the state based on your job function), a managers discression on flexing time over several days is limited due to overtime laws. For example, allowing you to work 11 hours on a day following a day you worked 5 is a little sketchy if you're "non-exempt". This is the question I would ask HR: "is my job function classified as exempt or non-exempt?" You may be getting the same check each month (making you think you're "salaried"), but that doesn't really mean anything if HR isn't on the ball.

Anyway... OUR official company policy for both exempt and non-exempt employees is that an employee gets 40 hours of Personal Time Off/Sick Time (PTO) each calendar year. If an employee does not take it in a calendar year, it goes AWAY (this is fairly normal and perfectly legal in california). That is, PTO/sick time does NOT accrue.

Employees are allowed to use PTO in any way they see fit, and managers are expected to approve this time with little notice by the employee and little prejudice. This allows employees to have some time for handling personal business for situations like yours or for handling that expired reg on their vehicle they forgot about or whatever.

Our vacation time is the time employees get for rest and it is at the discression of managers when AND if employees can take it or not (this is a small company, and depending on what's going on, an inconvienient vacation could affect business performance in a big way). To make up for this less discressionary benefit, vacation accrues forever.

Since the only thing vacation requires is supervisor approval, if one of my employees knows about some appointments several days in advance I have often approved the use of vacation to cover as well (I had an employee who got braces last year, and it was a similar situtation--she ran out of PTO time).

That said, the "unwritten policy" used at our company by most managers is that if an employee has some time they need to be away from work, it's perfectly acceptable to work with that employee and let them "flex" their schedule to compensate. Most managers here require the time to be less than a couple hours, and it must be made up within 2 days of the event, but I know of some managers who've let this go as far as a couple weeks for exempt employees.

Personally, I've even allowed some employees to sort of "wash the time out" if there's some weekend work coming up in the next couple weeks. Since this requires cooperation from your manager, you really need to get their help with this type of set-up.

That is, if your manager goes strictly by the rules, they do not have to pay you for time you have not worked. Make a friend who sympathizes with your situation, and you'd be surprised at how much you can get away with (especially considering if you're a superstar employee).

Hang in there with the health thing. I went through a total of 6 weeks of chemotherapy over 6 months and I wasn't docked a single hour of any kind of time. Fit as a fiddle, these days.

I'm in Canada, and here, we do what's both right for the employer as is what's equally right for the employee. I empathize with your situation and fully understand where you are coming from. I see this as the "captain looking out for his teammates". Whether it's right or wrong where you are, it's probably just best to let it go as it is and be done with it. Just answer yourself this one simple question ... "Do I want to lose money from my weekly pay, or is it better to lose a day or two from my already over-grown sick days?"

I too am suffering from being docked for doctor's appointments. Being a dedicated, salaried employee, I work many, many hours beyond my contracted time almost every week due to workload, meetings outside office hours and special events. My hours are documented through a monthly time sheet. I have never received ANY compensation for overtime, neither lieu time nor remuneration. Admittedly, because I am Canadian, different rules likely apply to me than TomSal. Almost every other week (since I began with this org. 2 years ago) I need to visit a specialist (who is located more than 100kms --approx 70 miles/ 1 1/2 hour drive) from the town where I work/live. I am also familiar with the inability to book specialist appointments outside of regular office hours. I leave on those days for my lunch hour at 1:30 (ending at 2:30)and then am absent for the following two hours until the posted office closing hour of 4:30(though our admin manual indicates that the policy is for flexible hours with 9:00-4:00 being the core).
In April the Exec.Director decided that I would be docked for 2 hours whenever I had those appointments stating that it was because my most recent doctor's letter indicated that the length of treatment was undetermined.
Last week was particularly disturbing, when I was asked to return from my doctor's appointment quickly so that I could attend an evening meeting at 7pm. Even though I would be docked for my "missed" hours in the afternoon!
Small organization, no HR department, not even another manager to consult -- only the one boss. Very hard to go over the boss' head to the Board of Directors. (Did I mention how few job opportunties there are in my rural area?)
My investigation makes it look as though there is no law prohibiting this action by the employer, but it certainly is not fair.
I would think that it is in an employer's interest for their staff to maintain their health at the highest possible levels.
Anyway, my commiserations go out to TomSal.

Here are some info's:

To see if you qualify, see here:

http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/ESA/Title_29/Part_825/29CFR825.110.htm

Regular information on FMLA:

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/

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I'll tell you this much, I have had to use FMLA before and it is a very helpful thing. Make sure that you qualify first, if you do, have your doctor fill out the forms. I think that they are three pages total. Then get them into your HR department or to your manager.

Do it SOON. If you really are having problems, you need to get that covered because if it gets to a point where you can't work, this will save your JOB if it really comes down to it.

I can tell you the hardest part about FMLA and not working is, the fact that you are getting paid to do nothing. It's a real mind job (at least it was for me). I started to feel kinda worthless and like a mooch. But the important part is this. Don't let that get in the way of you getting better. If you do qualify for it, then you will need to get you better, or in the long run you may end up paying for it.

Mrafrohead

Just wanted to say to all that post helpful posts, thanks ladies/gents. I appreciate your input.

I wish I could reply to all individually but obviously that would just take far to long.

Just as an aside -- I did talk with HR and worked things out. My little medical problem is still unsolved after all kinds of testing (all test are normal) so I don't know if I'll be going to any more doctors -- no one knows what to do it seems, so why waste the money on the office visits?

Take care all.

later.

I would really question your manager's motives here. If you have been a solid performer in the past and continue to be,your manager should be giving you a little slack for what appears to be a legitimate health issue.

A risk to you here is some companies have "occurrence" policies where each absence for illness counts as an "occurrence." These policies usually incorporate a maximum number of occurrences beyond which an employee can be terminated. If your company has such a policy, ask your manager what his motives are by being so meticulous and "by the book."

A more professional way for your manager to handle this would be to give you a chance to make up the time, so it all evens out, especially if you are an exempt employee who is expected to work uncompensated overtime when required.

Depending on where this conversation with your manager goes, it may be worth taking this to HR or your manager's boss. However, don't go in breathing fire. Explain the situation, ask for an explanation of the relevant company policies, and ask if your manager is handling the situation in the right way. He may be handling the situation the right way. On the other hand, HR or his boss may see this as an opportunity to provide him with some "guidance."

Good Luck

Have you tried talking to your boss, explaining the situation, and offering to make it up (if you're willing)? That way you don't lose your sick leaves.

I don't know your HR policy, but it's usually, "pay for work", so either you don't get paid if you don't work or they deduct it from sick leaves - being a benefit.

Just my two cents.

Tomsal: I don't wish to be mean here, but isn't "sick" leave for when you are sick?
If you have 100+ hours' accrued and you need to spend it on doctor's visits, why shouldn't you?
And why shouldn't your company dock your sick leave when you go and visit the doctor?

I am in Saudi Arabia, we have a guy had been sick for over two months and then had to proceed abroad for an operation somewhere in Jordan.Now that he is back,he is still getting his full salary and benefits and has not been fired.He isnt a High output employee but is still on payroll on the grounds of humanity and professionalism. If your company is deducting your salary then I think they are wrong. How many castles can they build by deducting your salary. Its a typical case of a narrow minded management
Mansurk

I thought this was a law but I may be wrong and that it is only a company policy but where I work you are either hourly, salaried non-exempt (you get paid overtime or anything over 40 hours you work in a week), or you are salaried exempt (do not get overtime). If you are salaried exempt and you show up for work that day you are paid for that day whether you go to the Dr. or go home later in the day. If you do not show up for work you either take it as sick pay or vacation. Sick leave is accrued at 8 hours per month. We seldom have anyone abusing sick leave.

I have a very similar situation.

This falls under the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which is different than the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FLSA covers hours and wages. The FMLA is about protecting your job.

I worked for a private organization for 13 years. Their time off policy for salaried employees was that sick and vacation could only be taken in 8 hour increments. If you worked for one hour they paid you for 8 hours or if you worked for 12 hours they paid you for 8 hours. They managed salaried staff via work performance and goals.

I am now working for a public sector agency. Their HR practices are to deduct sick and vacation time for hours used from salaried employees the same as they would for hourly employees. I called them HR practices because HR has not been able to produce a written policy. After working in the private sector, I found this strange so I did a little research and found there is an exception in the FLSA for public sector employers.

If you check the Federal Dept of Labor web-site, wage and hour division you will find the details to help inform yourself when talking to your HR department. These are the links to the sites.
http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/flsa/index.htm
http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/fedreg/proposed/2003033101.htm
Check these subsections on this page
?Sec. 541.602 Salary basis?
?Sec. 541.709 Employees of public agencies.?

I am still working with my HR department on this so all I can do is point you at information.

Well it's sad that companies look at things from this perspective. Honestly, how long do you think it would take an employee hearing a response like that, to figure out the company cares ONLY about it's best interests, and not the individuals interests as well? Probably within seconds of hearing that type of a comment. So, now let's all be reasonable people, how much EXTRA emphasis am I going to put into my job from that day forward? The EXACT MINIMUM it takes me to KEEP my Job!!! That's why I quit working for corporate America becuase the spreadsheet corporate knuckleheads who set up these Protocols haven't got a CLUE what real company to employee relationships is all about. I call it corporate slavery. There's a new set of commercials out for some vacation company and they are by far the funniest becuase they genuinely expose the "TRUE" corporate feelings towards employees. If you've seen them, you know which ones I am refering to.. LOL Anyway, treat your lowest employee as if you were the one working in that position and you will NEVER have a problem with production UNLESS it's a personal character problem which will help you easily identify those who will help you in your quest to become a sucessful company. And by the way, I mark success by providing a good place to work for someone who can earn a good living and provide for their family and lifestyle. That's success... Not how large your individual accounts are. When you take, in order to equal out the system properly, you MUST give back!!!