Leave for Reality Show
hr410
61 Posts
One of our employees just tried out for a reality show and was accepted. He came and said that he doesn’t have enough vacation time to accommodate being on the show unless he is one of the first to be sent home. Should we allow him unpaid leave if he moves along? It’s such an unusual request and our other employees are all so excited about it, I think we would be viewed as “the bad guy” if we didn’t let him go.
Comments
This is an unusual situation. Certainly, the employee won't qualify for protected leave such as FMLA . So, the company has to follow its own policies related to unpaid, personal leaves of absence. Things to think about include the employee's status at the end of the leave, how to handle benefits during the leave, whether work can be covered during the leave or if a replacement will be required, etc. You might think about how the company would handle a situation where an employeeasks for unpaid leave so he or she can backpack around Europe for two months.
Depending on the employee's job and the size of the company, it may be necessary to fill the job in the employee's absence. In this case, it is important to be clear with the individual about what he or she can expect after the leave is over. The employee will have to decide whether to take the leave or give up the reality show gig.