Vacation/Sick Time Policy

huffermfg · July 2003

Our company currently does not offer any vacation or sick time to our employees. So anytime any of our employees need to be off of work for whatever reason they do not get paid. Are there any state/federal laws that support/require having vacation and/or sick time policies?

Also, our company does not offer any paid holidays - none! What is the state/federal policies/laws on having paid holidays?

Our company is a very small manufacturing company with only 10 employees. Most of our work is seasonal, in which we are busier in the spring and early summer and slower in the fall and winter. The owner doesn't celebrate holidays, due to his religious beliefs, and therefore doesn't see anything wrong with the "no paid time off" policy. However the employees don't like the policy and would like some kind of middle ground policies, at least. Do you have any suggestions that might make both our employees and our boss happy?

Hunter1 · July 2003

No federal laws that require vacation, sick time, or paid holidays, but you might prevail on your boss that you're not likely to engender much in the way of employee loyalty or longevity under your current situation.

cebudragonlady · July 2003

Statically speaking, what is your company's employee turnover?

Chari

huffermfg · July 2003

It seems in the past, most employees have stayed for about a year. All ot the employees we have now have been here for at least a year, but more complaints are being raised and talk of leaving for a job with these benefits is rising. I don't know of any other companies in our area that do not offer vacation, sick time and paid holidays and retirement, and our company pays about the same in wages as these other companies in our area. Actually the bigger factories in our area pay much better than we do, and I think the only reason that our employees haven't left yet is because we work 8-5 M-F and the bigger factories work 12 hour swing shifts that include weekends. I don't want any of our employees to leave because the team that we have now works great together and we need that in a small company.

ritaanz · July 2003

I'm curious, does the company work on holidays? Do all of you go to work on Thanksgiving, July 4th, etc.?

huffermfg · July 2003

Yes, everyone works on all holidays for regular pay. We have the option of taking the day without pay, but the atmosphere that is portrayed (because of our boss's personal religious beliefs)is very negative when an employee wants to take that option. Another point that is made reguarding holidays is that about half of our staff is Mexican/Canadian and we celebrate different holidays.

blw · July 2003

What does the 4th of July, Memorial Day, New Year's and Labor Day have to do with religious beliefs. I would try to show him the value of some benefits in terms of retention as mentioned above. Do you have exit interviews or information from previous employees as to why they left? If not, maybe you could make some phone calls and survey some of them as to what their reasons were for leaving. Good Luck!

huffermfg · July 2003

Excatly my point!!! His religious beliefs are not to honor or celebrate anything, no holidays, birthdays, etc. As far as exit interviews, we thought we were doing good to get an evaluation after one year and a half of working here. The employee files that I have on past employees are minimal to none. No records/evaluations were kept, mostly just copies of green cards.

ray a · July 2003

Maybe the owner doesn't want people staying around too long. My employer 20 years ago thrived on turnover. After people got a couple of raises, they wanted them to leave so they could hire a new batch at minimum wage to keep the average labor rate low. Two or three days of OJT and they were good as gold.

Crout · July 2003

Your boss sounds like the type of person who would find it difficult to compromise. As good as your intentions are, you are probably barking up the wrong tree.

Dasher · July 2003

Get out of there! I wasted several years with an employer that sounds like he it could be a bother to yours. What a waste of valuable living time. Now is the time to get a real life.

huffermfg · July 2003

Thanks for all of the advice. I also am beginning to believe my battle is a lost cause, and it's time for me to move on. Afterall, I want to be able to retire one of these days, I don't like the idea of having to work forever!

Vacation/Sick Time Policy

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