Dad Wants Time With Newborn
Q: I’m a salaried employee with no limit on sick days. I’m not here to abuse my company, but I’m a new dad who would like to take five days off to take care of my wife and newborn. Should I request time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act or should I ask for five sick days?
A: Request five sick days, says Nicholas Anaclerio Jr., employment law partner at the Chicago office of Querrey & Harrow. FMLA leave is unpaid. While it can generally be taken in addition to accumulated vacation and sick leave, the employer’s personnel policies and procedures will govern your options. An employer may require employees to substitute any earned vacation and sick time for the FMLA leave.
According to Anaclerio, the FMLA is best used as a safety net for an extended leave, to be used for the protection of employees working for employers who set arbitrary rules. Many employers go well beyond the scope of the employee protection created by the FMLA, as apparently your employer does by not keeping track of sick days.
Salary and job are not what was promised
Q: I accepted a new position where the projected compensation was 25 percent more than the starting salary. Not only has my salary not increased, but also the position has been relegated to a lower level without any explanation. This is all contrary to my offer letter, job description and communication I had with senior management before I accepted the position. Any advice?
A: Meet with an attorney specializing in employment or contract law. Some offer letters constitute contracts, while others are carefully written so as not to make specific promises. Statements made during the interviewing process may also be considered contracts. Document these past conversations as best you can (verbatim if possible) so you’ll have all your information to present in an organized fashion, since the lawyer will most likely charge you by the hour.
Stay-at-home mom wants to work and raise baby
Q: I’m a stay-at-home mom and have not worked for two years. I recently realized the need to return to work, but I would like to work from home. I have experience in billing, inventory and customer service. How do I get started?
A: Your best avenue to finding the right job is networking. If you haven’t kept up with your former co-workers and bosses, start calling people to renew those relationships. Most of the fields you mention require you to work on a company’s premises, but in making your calls, you may hear of some other jobs that can be worked on from home. You may have to go back to working in an office, at least at first, so the company will get to know you and your work ethics.
When to leave short job stint off resume
Q: I have been in my position for about five years with the exception of two and a half months when I transferred to another department under the same government agency. After the first week, I knew the job wouldn’t work out because of personality differences, so I made arrangements to get back my old position. I am not seeking other employment now, but in case of cutbacks I’d like to have my resume prepared. Should I include the twoand-a-half month job?
A: If you intend to transfer again to another arm of the agency, include the position. The government agency will have all your records with exact dates, so you don’t want to ignore that short stint. If, however, you apply for jobs outside of the government, there’s no need to include it. Your five years working for the same government agency will tell a potential employer what it needs to know.