How to Create a Paid Sick Days Policy
Paid sick days aren’t just beneficial for employees who are feeling under the weather. Having a paid sick days policy can improve employee morale and engagement and strengthen your recruitment and retention efforts, making your business more successful.
While there is no federal paid sick leave in the United States, many states and municipalities have their own requirements. It can be beneficial to consult an employment lawyer before setting your policy. In meantime, this advice can help you draft your policy.
Create a Recordkeeping Strategy
Companies have to offer benefits to stay competitive in the talent marketplace. But when an employer creates a paid sick days policy, they also create recordkeeping requirements.
Before establishing a new policy, employers should consider their business needs and decide whether it would be better to create a single bank of paid time off (PTO) to be accrued for vacation, sick days and other absences, or to separate each one by type. A single PTO bank means an employer needs to spend less time monitoring employees’ reasons for being absent, and employees generally like the flexibility.
From a staffing standpoint, separating each category generally results in employees taking fewer days off. Employees often make sure they use PTO day they earn, but when sick days are separated from vacation time, most workers try not to use up those days, preferring to save them in case they get sick.
Create a Process for Taking Leave
A good policy that separates paid absences by type should include:
- A method for tracking employees’ accrual and use of sick days.
- A procedure for employees to request foreseeable sick days, such as for surgeries or hospital stays.
- A description of an employer’s right to request medical documentation supporting any requested sick day
- A process to audit the use of sick days so that any abuse can quickly be discovered.
Considering a Paid Sick Days Policy?
Having a paid sick leave policy can offer employees the flexibility they need, while bolstering your employee retention and recruitment efforts. Now that you’ve developed the right PTO policy and an effective retention strategy, get started on finding the right fit when you post a job for free on Monster.