Are HR Policies Overlooking Family Needs? Discussing Leave for Child or Family Illness

Dear Members,

Hello!

Please, can any of the learned senior HR professionals shed light on this issue and advise?

We have come across information on various kinds of welfare facilities and benefits being provided to employees and have also discussed good HR practices in various companies.

Lately, I have encountered a case study that prompted me to bring this study to the attention of all my group members.

What type of leave provision is being given to employees when their children or family members fall sick?

As far as we know, an employee will avail earned leave or sick leave that he/she is eligible for, which is meant for the employee only. Nowhere in the leave rules do we see provisions for family or children.

When a company hires employees, the company frames HR policies and practices that are convenient for both management and employees (both functions being carried out by human beings). While the company considers granting maternity and paternity leave, why is it not considering family or child sickness leave? Why has this aspect of human life been ignored by HR practitioners?

I recently came across a case where a working woman left her job for a simple reason: her child was seriously ill, and she was not granted paid leave by the management. The reason given by the management was that there is no provision for paid leave for sickness of family members or children.

This situation made me wonder whether we are truly moving towards human resource development?

Regards,

Syed

Hello,

It's really sad to know that such things exist in the HR system. I am very new to the HR process, and whenever I hear from friends who work in organizations saying it's difficult to get leaves or half days for some genuine reasons, they are not given, I always say that why doesn't HR understand that a human has another life too. If he/she is happy and stable in life apart from work life, then his performance will surely go up. After all, work is not the only factor for survival in life. HR policies should be framed in such a way that all employees at all levels benefit both professionally and personally. The development of a human's life should be taken into consideration, like his/her marriage, becoming a parent, family members' illnesses, especially old people, etc. I mean such factors are part of everyone's life, so considering these and respecting each individual's importance for these, an HR system and the overall organization's system can be framed.

Binal

Dear,

Leave policy is an internal matter and localized to every organization. The provision for leave given to employees when their children or family members fall sick is laudable. However, leave policy is also guided by statute. In practice, you will find that many organizations have already extended their leave policy beyond what the law requires. Asking for more may lead to trouble.

With Regards,

V. Sounder Rajan
VS Rajan Associates
Advocates & Notaries
No. 27, 1st Floor, Singapore Plaza
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Chennai - 600 001
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