WHEN WORKERS GO ON EMERGENCY SICK LEAVE

EMERGENCY SICK LEAVE

Employers cannot get away with this. Even those companies with stable health and welfare programs for employees cannot escape this realistic situation of having employees go on an emergency sick leave. Emergency as stated is unexpected. One will not know that he’ll be sicked the next day. It is unplanned ( well should be ) hence , the so-called emergency sick leave.

EMPLOYER’S POLICY ON SICK LEAVE

A common practice when an employee goes on an emergency sick leave is to call the immediate supervisor or the HR Department for information about their absence because of sickness.

Either of the HR or the immediate supervisor may receive the notice from the employee concerned. And both have the responsibility to inform one another.

There is a need to inform the immediate supervisor so as to take immediate action on his section or department’s ongoing task which might get pend because of ones absence. Likewise the HR Department is needed to be informed for payroll and attendance monitoring purposes.

COMMON REPLY WHEN A PHONE CALL ON EMERGENCY SICK LEAVE WAS RECEIVED

When an employee calls on his sudden illness in order to inform his immediate supervisor or the HR Department, it is important to talk to the concerned lightly while giving him the instruction on what to do. This should be done consistently whether or not the sickness is true or false.

A suggested reply should have a sympathetic tone and must provide information on what is required for him to do in order to avoid being charged as “abandoning the post” or AWOL,  like this printed sample : “ We are sorry to hear about your sudden illness and we hope that you can recover quickly. Please provide a medical certificate if you would be absent for 3 or more days. So please attach the medical certificate to the Sick Leave notification or application form upon your comeback to work. State in the form as well on how long have you been on sick leave.”

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Achieving employee engagement and loyalty to the company is not just a one time event. It requires an effort and consistent attempt to make the employees feel that they are connected to the organization.

Fostering a positive environment is  a good way to start. A good trend today is to view the employees as the biggest investment and therefore, should be given an applicable reward. This is very true especially for those who are talented and has good performance. The company as much as possible wants to get hold of them. They are their precious assets. In this case, comes the issue of how can we keep this kind of employees? How can we promote Employee Engagement?

1.      Involved them. (The employees) – Create a positive self-esteem among employees by setting up a goal with them. Let them know that they have the responsibility and let them feel that they are valued. Then, it would be easier to turn that involvement into excitement and a sense of pride in ownership. That will surely contribute to earning the employee engagement.

2.      Organizations must do their best to engage their employees and in return the employees have the choice as to how much level of engagement they will give to the company. Each reinforces the other. It gives the employee the feeling that the company needs him , the same way that the company feels that the employee needs to have a job with them.

3.      Satisfy the employees – Although they said that a satisfied employee doesn’t guarantee an engagement to the company, at least it can contribute to the concept.

Generally, an engaged employee works beyond office hours without being told so and doing the job seriously and correctly even though the immediate boss is not watching.

An engaged employee feels a balanced status – satisfied, committed, empowered and involved.

So therefore, engagement with the employees is good. So why not use it as a tool for business success.

The Thirteenth Month Pay (13th Month Pay)

Every time the  “ber” months are nearing, employees rejoice not just because of upcoming Christmas time but because it already signifies the month of giving the 13^th month pay which is a core labor standard in the Philippines. It is statutory that is why the employers are always reminded to release this benefit not later than 24^th of December of every year.

According to the Labor code, it is the 1/12 of the basic salary of an employee within the calendar year. ½ of the salary includes all remunerations or earnings paid by an employer to the employee for the services the latter rendered and may also include  allowances or monetary benefits which are considered  or integrated as part of the regular or basic salary. Examples of earnings that may not be included in the basic salary are : cost of living allowances, profit-sharing payments, cash equivalent of unused leave credits, overtime pay, premium pay , night differential, holiday pay, etc. Please note however, that in some companies they do include these in the computation of the 13^th month pay because of the result of collective bargaining agreement, this had been the practice since time immemorial and cannot be changed as changes may result to diminution of benefits or because of management prerogative.

All rank and file employees are entitled to 13^th month pay provided they have served the company for at least one month.

Report of Compliance

Per law, every employer must submit a report to DOLE Regional Office not later than January 15 of each year. It is called Report on compliance with PD No. 851.

Included in the said report is the following:

1. Name of establishment
2. Address
3. Principal product or business
4. Total employment
5. Total number of workers benefited
6. Amount granted per employee
7. The total amount of benefits granted
8. Name, position and telephone number of the person giving the information

EMPLOYEE ON PROBATIONARY STATUS – WAS FOUND OUT LATER TO HAVE COMMITTED A GRIEVIOUS OFFENSE IN HIS PAST EMPLOYMENT

Karen is a part of a new company as an HR Supervisor . The recruitment process which she has seen in this new company is not that stern or strict. Currently, she is in the process of evaluating all processes and competencies of employees across all departments. She checked out  the personnel file of each and came  across one of the current employees'  file and there she found out that he had occupied a very high position from his previous company. This was actually based from the result of his background investigation. What surprised her most is what she had found out:  Said employee had a case of embezzlement of funds from his previous employer. Karen has no idea if it is a resolved or unresolved case. What she is more concern about is the effect of this case to his present company and another thing, can this person be trusted?

Question :  Can this case from his previous company enough grounds to terminate his employment from his present employer being that he is still under a probationary status?

Answer :         As what we have discussed in the previous posts about discipline and termination, there should always be a due process in every case therein.

                                As for this one, the HR Supervisor has to conduct a thorough investigation first before taking an action. Look at the employee’s filled-up application (when he was still applying for the job ) and if she answered the portion “Do you have any pending case or have you committed  a serious / grave offense in your past employments? “ .  If the concerned employee did not declare that he has pending administrative case from his past employments or his former company, then that could be an issue of dishonesty. Then, it is time now to check it on your Employee handbook if such offense is a ground for terminating him.

                                Although the employee is still on his probationary status, you have to secure some proof before giving him a verdict of termination . If you don't prove the accusation as dishonesty, another way to prove if he is worthy to become a regular employee is by appraising his performance objectively.

                                Karen as the HR Supervisor is right in her action to evaluate all the HR Processes. In this case, the Recruitment process. Since the result of the background investigation already posed some issues, then , they should have not considered the said employee . Remember, that all processes involved matters.

HR and Line Managers Must Work Together

HR and Line Managers Must Work Together

Line Managers are the Heads of the Departments or the one who manages the staff in a department. It is important that they work hand in hand with the HR Department for the achievement of the vision / mission of the organization. Both must work together to ensure the success of the company they are working with. It will be easier for the HR Department to implement the strategic plans if all managers understands this new trend in leading an organization.

HR must show full support to the Line Managers in order to expect the latters awareness of their responsibility to implement HR policies and procedures among their staff.

Recruitment

In the recruitment process for example, HR must inform the Line Managers about the prevailing processes and the accompanying forms to be used in fulfilling their manpower needs. In this procedure, the recruitment system will surely become smooth flowing and fast moving. From the filling-in of the Personnel Requisition Form up to the Selection Process, Line Managers and HR are often seen in the limelight. Hence, both parties are involved in the most critical process of choosing the right candidate for the vacant position.

Performance Management

Fair and the same approach must be applied by both HR and Line Managers when doing the Performance Evaluation most especially in giving feedbacks to the employee concerned. You can imagine the chaos it may produce if HR gives a different opinion about the result of the Performance rating given by the superior or most especially the Line Managers themselves. HR must provide a training program that would intend to educate the Line Managers on how to effectively and consistently implement the Performance Management System.

Conflict Resolution

You cannot get away with this. In every Organization there is a conflict or a dispute that needed to be resolved immediately. Hence, the importance of having a positive relationship between HR and Line Managers. If both parties are in good harmony then immediate resolution of the prevailing conflicts within the organization could be achieved.

TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT FOR EMPLOYEE ON PROBATIONARY STATUS

Case: The new employee was evaluated on her 5^th month and did not meet the expectation or the requirements which was set by the management with her prior to starting her first hour of work on her first day.  In other words, all expectations were made known to her during the orientation including the awareness to the company policies and procedures. Employee Handbook was also discussed and given to her in which she signed an acknowledgement.

 Is termination of employment and not putting her on a regular employment status valid and legal? How would you write the termination notice?

Answer:  Yes, definitely it is legal to terminate employment if the probationary employee failed to meet the expectation of her superior or the management. Just be sure to document the measures made like the Performance Evaluation , in case of poor performance and the Daily Attendance Record, in case of poor attendance. It would great too, to keep note of the warnings given be it verbal or written warning. And that's to make sure that everything had been done, like giving feedback in order to help the probationary employee improve her performance.

It is also advisable to evaluate the Probationary employee on their 3^rd and 5^th month. The termination notice should be received at least 30 days prior to its effectivity. To be safe, use the 30 day notice period.

In the termination notice, be sure to state the reason why, and the related / referred clause and chapter from the Employee Handbook.

Template for Notice of Termination of Probationary Employee

Dear ___________________,

With reference to Chapter ___, Clause _____of Employee Handbook, we regret to inform you that you failed to meet the requirements set for the job assigned to you.

Your performance rating result in the last 5^th month of your employment is not satisfactory, hence, the need to terminate your contract effective  ________________.

We appreciate the service and the time you have willingly shared with the company.

Very Truly Yours,

STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - WHAT IS IT?

Human Resource Management , on its plain and simple text is managing the most important asset of the organization. From its definition, one can sense its being a routinary job and more of a paperwork department.

Nowadays, gone are those old adage about managing the Human Resources. It is not just a simple ordinary job. It is very complicated but when handled expertly, it would be a successful department that will lead the organization to the achievement of its goals, vision and mission.

The Strategic Human Resource Management is the talk of the HR circles nowadays. So what is it? It is  designed and formulated to help companies satisfy their needs while encouraging the achievement of their goals. In other words, it is best to start with a goal aligned with the company vision and mission and influencing the employees to achieve it by being proactive in leadership and management. Setting up goals and plans is like thinking ahead in order to place the company strategically to its future location. It can affect all the processes being done from hiring, developing employees through trainings, assessment of performance techniques and discipline.

Strategic Human Resource Management supports long term business goals and its outcome. With this, companies work hard to meet the need of their employees. It can cultivate productivity because the employees are being guided by the set goals and objectives. With that goal in mind, aligning the processes involved to get it done follows. And yes, Human resource management is the best way to achieve it. By thinking and planning ahead, it can improve employee performance and retention rate.