The research around coffee breaks is pretty solid.
Breaks increase employee morale, allow workers to connect, ease stress and provide for a creative and productive environment. There's even evidence for their role in spawning big ideas. At Google, it was in one of the employee cafes where a small group of employees came up with the idea for Gmail, a senior associate told The New York Times.
Leaves of absence or paid/personal time off (PTO) have benefits too. The Family Medical Leave Act, which turns 25 this year, allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to manage their own illness or to take care of a child or parent. Some states are pushing for regulations that go beyond the federal guidelines to offer paid leave.
But for HR professionals charged with keeping up with the policies surrounding them, time off is not so stress-free. It comes with ever-changing regulations and mounds of paperwork across a multitude of employees.
Now, Time Rack users can take advantage of the most powerful HR answer database in the world, which allows for HR professionals to keep up without the stress.
FMLA Is No Break for HR
The FMLA is one of the most complicated employment laws that human resources professionals have to navigate. There is a practically infinite range of individual circumstances and leave often has to be tailored to fit them – without creating policies that are inconsistent.
A number of states have established their own family leave policies – including California, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York – and there is growing support behind the idea of paid leave. The California law replaces 60% to 70% of wages for up to six weeks in any 12-month period, funded through mandatory payroll deductions for disability insurance.
"Momentum is clearly growing among policymakers and employers for an expansion of the law that will include paid leave," Lynn Feinberg, a senior strategic policy advisor for the AARP Public Policy Institute told a Forbes contributor.
Keeping up with shifting policies isn't easy. That's why at Time Rack, we provide our clients with HR support services and software that help HR professionals stay on top of what they need to know.
HRAnswerLink Makes a Tough Job Easier
With the HRAnswerLink support center embedded into Time Rack time and attendance software, you have a searchable database at your fingertips where you can research any topic or question that comes up, from the FMLA, to wage and overtime laws, to laws that cover sick time, vacation time and every other form of time off. You have access to a library of laws searchable by jurisdiction or topic.
You can receive alerts when new laws or regulations are taking effect. You will also have access to live support, a wide range of training videos, podcasts, checklists and quick guides as well as a library of HR articles.
Our software also streamlines the process of entering employee data, which in turn, minimizes error. With Time Rack, you can have all the HR support features you need within one inclusive system.
Make Time for Your Own Coffee Break
When Time Rack takes over and streamlines these tasks, you and your employees can find time for that cup of coffee or small break in your day. Who knows what creative ideas will emerge?