An employee's right to take a leave of absence is paramount in Ontario. However, the law recognizes that leaving your job for an extended period time commonly leads to problems in the workplace.
Some leaves are more predictable, such as parental leaves, and other leaves may be taken at a moment's notice. Employers are not entitled to endless information regarding an employee's need for a leave, just as employee are not entitled to an endless leave. There are limits on what both parties' entitlements.
Difficulties often arise when employees return from a leave and find their duties, the workplace or their own circumstances have changed. There also may be underlying problems related to the leave that need to be addressed. Employers are entitled to manage their workforce, including employees on leave, but disciplining an employee who is on or has recently come back from a leave can be tricky. This session will help you navigate those challenges, and will provide an explanation of different types of leaves of absence available to employees, an overview of the law regarding employee discipline, and a series of case studies and strategies for discussion.
Learning objectives:
- What types of leaves are available to employees in Ontario
- What are general best practices regarding employee discipline
- When might employees run in to discipline during and after a leave of absence
- What to do when an employee is using a leave of absence to avoid discipline
- What to do when an employee is not properly justifying a leave of absence
- Common disciplinary problems when an employee returns from a leave
Who should attend?
This program is designed for all HR professionals.