School Visit Leave - Is this discrimatory

JulieJulie

We currently have in our employee handbook a policy for Parents and legal guardians of school children from kindergarten through grade twelve that allows an extra 4 hours of Paid Time Off per school year per child to visit the child's school.
Question: Is this discrimatory towards employees without children?

watrsflo

It may not be illegal, but it is clearly biased. Certaily it makes good sense to support parents' relationships with their children's schools; but, why not have a benefit which more broadly supports family values; one that is accessible to all your employees? That is, if you want to underwrite family values, which I assume is the corporate belief behind your current benefit.

It would seem more equitable to your employee population if the company provided a discretionary benefit that all might have access to, for such purposes as: visiting elderly parents, hospital visits, blood drive contributions, other community contacts, etc.

Don D

Unwise? Perhaps yes, but I think the answer to your specific question is that it is not illegal under federal law since 'people without children' are not a protected class. Now, if the policy were to excuse only the female persons 4 hours per year or excluding those parents with children in Catholic Schools, that would be discriminatory.

attyinaz

I don't know what state you're in, but there are legal requirements in Rhode Island.

POPEYE

We have a benefit called Family Flex Time which gives up to 24 hrs. in a rolling 12 month period for the: Health, Education or Welfare for an immediate (per policy) family member. This covers any and all of our EEs unless they do not have an immediate family.

smaces_twin

NC law requires this- NC Gen. statute 95-28.3. We have a plants in other states including VA and we allow 4 hours/ calendar year for all of them. I did a quick VA search and did not come up with a similar law.