There are many different reasons that people have to have extended absences from work. Some are completely legitimate and expected, whereas others can be more dubious in terms of intent and length. But regardless of those details, every company needs to be ready for any change in personnel. The show must go on!

So specifically, within your company ranks, pay attention to general concerns regarding knowledge and extended absences, maternity and paternity leave, military leave, sickness or emergencies among employees, and how laws differ on a state per state basis with respect to legal recourse be the employer.

General Concerns Regarding Knowledge and Work

No matter what reasons are given for the absence of an employee, a primary concern is going to be what to do about knowledge transfer. There should be a plan in place already, but if it hasn’t been gone over, supervisors (and even potentially stockholders) need to have some sort of logical process so that essential processes within the company are handed off immediately to people who can handle them efficiently. With a plan, there should be no change in company output. Without a plan, there could be logistical and financial catastrophe.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Employees are going to need maternity and paternity leave. This is a given. So, in advance of the actual occasion, there should be plenty of time to sort out company responsibilities. You should have at least six months to make sure that whatever job is been done has the people underneath trained and ready to go. Durations of these types of leave vary from state to state and company to company, but they are generally considered extended even if they’re longer than a few weeks.

Military Leave

If an employee is a member of the national guard, then there’s the matter of if they get called up for duty. This presents a slightly unusual situation for employers, but it’s extremely important that if there’s a military member of the office or company, the process of handing off job responsibilities is as smooth as possible.

Sickness or Emergency

Another common reason for extended absence is going to be either a major sickness or an emergency that requires lots of fixing. If a major debilitative disease comes into the occasion, or something like a house fire occurs, employers need to be ready with an action plan.

Laws Differ On a State per State Basis

It’s important to realize that there are different laws that apply for people getting fired or laid off when it comes to any of the above conditions. So if you’re the owner of a business, it’s up to you to know all of the details of extended absences before you even hire a single employee.


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