Business Management Daily (02/29/12)

Companies that suspect employees are abusing Family and Medical Leave Act leave should carefully document their suspicions. For example, if an employee claims to have a flare-up every Friday or Monday or near a holiday, make note of his or her requests and when they coincide with other time off. Then conduct an investigation.

Court rulings have supported companies that call and check on their em­­ployees to make sure they’re resting at home during FMLA leave. Companies also can require employees to check in if they leave the house during sick leave. Companies may want to consider creating penalties for employees who violate the call-in rules.

According to a survey by ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder, employees are most likely to call in sick during the first quarter of the year, followed by the third quarter, the fourth quarter, and the second quarter. CareerBuilder says 28% of human resource professionals and managers surveyed have checked up on allegedly sick employees.