Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often have limited resources and budgets, which can make it challenging to stay compliant with the complex and ever-changing leave laws. However, non-compliance can result in costly legal consequences and damage to the company’s reputation. In this blog, we will discuss the cheapest ways SMEs can stay compliant with leave laws.
- Educate Yourself on Leave Laws
The first step in staying compliant with leave laws is to educate yourself on the applicable laws. SMEs should research and understand the federal and state leave laws that apply to their business. This includes the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). It is essential to stay up-to-date with any changes to the laws to ensure compliance. The Department of Labor and SHRM both stay up to date on changing laws and can serve as a basis for Leave Laws.
- Develop Written Leave Policies
SMEs should develop written leave policies that are compliant with the applicable laws. These policies should outline the types of leave available to employees, the eligibility criteria, the amount of leave employees are entitled to, and the procedure for requesting and taking leave. This document should be available to all employees, and it should be reviewed and updated periodically to ensure compliance. You can also use an employee time off tracker like Planleave where your leave policies are in alignment with the Leave Types you have inputted in the technology.
- Train Managers and Supervisors
Managers and supervisors should be trained on the company’s leave policies and the applicable laws. This will help them to handle leave requests in a consistent and compliant manner. Training can be provided in-house or through online resources.
- Keep Accurate Records
SMEs should maintain accurate records of employee leave. This includes the type of leave taken, the dates of the leave, and the reason for the leave. Accurate record-keeping will help SMEs to ensure compliance with the applicable leave laws and track employee leave balances. This can be done manually or by using leave management software. With the ability to edit, add and remove Leave Types you can set basics like FMLA, CFRA and Country Laws into Planleave and report on them by week, month and year and have it all managed with your employee time off system
In conclusion, SMEs can stay compliant with leave laws in a cost-effective way by educating themselves on the laws, developing written leave policies, training managers and supervisors, keeping accurate records, and outsourcing leave management. These steps will help to ensure compliance with leave laws while also supporting the well-being of employees.
Basic understanding and reporting can go a long way to avoiding a costly mistake. The smallest of companies can:
1) Know the laws and stay updated
2)Download the proper Department of Labor Forms
3) Enter the Leave Types in an employee time off the system like Planleave with a cost of $1.30 p/e
4) Run the reports if needed based on employee leave and the type of leave.
If every dollar counts and you want to stay complaint this is a fantastic way to start as you grow your company.
Try our ROI Calculator and move away from tedious error-laden spreadsheets and see how cheaply you can automate your leave and start your compliance journey.
For more information www.planleave.com
employee vacationEnglishLeave Complianceleave managementPTO trackerSMBSMEtrack time offvacation tracker
