News You Can Use: President-elect sets ambitious work-life agenda

Among his many large scale goals, President-elect Barack Obama has set a high-flying work-life agenda, including a federal mandate for paid sick leave and expanding FMLA to encompass employers with 25 or more workers (current law applies to 50 or more), more purposes -- including children's school needs, and expand care to more family members.

Read more here from the Wall Street Journal about Obama's work-life proposals and others on the federal and state level.

News You Can Use: Go Green, reduce sick days

It's that time of year again. Just when it seems that the half of your office down with a cold or flu recovers, the other half goes out on sick leave or struggles through the day, sniffing and sneezing at their desk.

The World Health Organization estimates that the cost of influenza to the U.S. economy in terms of health care costs and lost productivity can range from $71 billion to $167 billion a year.

In order to combat illness, consider latching on to the industry's hottest trend - green cleaning!

"Green cleaning provides demonstrable benefits to improved indoor environmental utility that directly relates to decreased absenteeism and increased productivity. As a tenant leasing space in a building, you want to lease space that will provide the healthiest possible environment for your occupants," said Keith Schneringer, President of USGBC San Diego.

Cleaning products can contribute to indoor air quality problems as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) evaporate and are circulated through the building's ventilation system. Indoor air is often several times more contaminated than outdoor air, and allergic reactions to unhealthy environments account for more than 10 million workdays missed by U.S. employees each year.

By replacing products that negatively affect indoor environmental quality, the health and productivity of all building occupants is improved.

"…[U]se non-toxic, non-reactive chemicals that have a minimal effect on the environment," said Kurt Lester, partner of Servi-Tek, a green cleaning specialist.

News You Can't Use: "Sick" or "Hooky"

No matter how much you like your job, there are days when huddling under the covers, playing golf, or just watching TV sounds much better than going to work. According to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey on absenteeism, one third of workers have played hooky by calling in sick when they weren't.

The majority of employers don't question worker's sick leave, but at least a third have checked up on workers who called in sick. Eighteen percent have fired a worker over missing without a legitimate excuse.

Why do your employees skip? One out of ten want to miss a meeting, buy time for a late project, or avoid the wrath of a boss or colleague. Others missed work because they just needed to relax and recharge (30%), go to a doctor's appointment (27 %), catch up on sleep (22%), run personal errands (14%t), catch up on housework (11%) or spend time with family and friends (11%). Another 34^ just didn't feel like going to work that day.

Of the 31% of employers who checked up on an employee who called in sick, 71% said they required the employee to show them a doctor's note. Fifty-six percent called the employee at home, 18% had another worker call the employee, and 17% drove by the employee's house or apartment.

Can you say ... stalker?

"It's in your best interest to be up-front with your employer and chances are you'll get the time you need," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "More companies today are moving toward a Paid Time Off system, giving employees more flexibility in how they categorize time away from the office. Employers are also expanding the definition of the sick day with 65 stating that they allow their team members to use sick days for mental health days."

When asked to share the most unusual excuses employees gave for missing work, employers offered the following real-life examples:

  -- Employee didn't want to lose the parking space in front of his house.
 -- Employee hit a turkey while riding a bike.
 -- Employee said he had a heart attack early that morning, but that he was
    "all better now."
 -- Employee donated too much blood.
 -- Employee's dog was stressed out after a family reunion.
 -- Employee was kicked by a deer.
 -- Employee contracted mono after kissing a mailroom intern at the company
    holiday party and suggested the company post some sort of notice to
    warn others who may have kissed him.
 -- Employee swallowed too much mouthwash.
 -- Employee's wife burned all his clothes and he had nothing to wear to
    work.
 -- Employee's toe was injured when a soda can fell out of the
    refrigerator.
 -- Employee was up all night because the police were investigating the
    death of someone discovered behind her house.
 -- Employee's psychic told her to stay home.

News You Can Use: Ohio backs down from paid sick leave

Following aggressive opposition from employers and a lack of support from the governor, Ohioans for Healthy Families have pulled a November ballot initiative that would have allowed voters to decide whether to make the state the first to mandate paid sick leave.

The Healthy Families Act would have required employers with 25 or more workers to provide full-time workers at least seven paid sick days each year. Part-time workers would have received a prorated benefit as well. However, employer groups launched a major offensive to the bill and Gov. Ted Strickland (D) said he would not support it.

According to reporting in Workforce Management, 43% of U.S. private sector workers and 42% of Ohio workers, do not have paid sick leave.