Managing Leave for Parents of School-Age Children

With the new school year comes a lot of adjustments for students and their parents, many of whom also happen to be employees.  Many employers find themselves flooded with requests from employees asking for time off to attend those early school-year events such as a Special Education Placement Meeting, the kindergarten breakfast, or back-to-school night.  It often is hard to tell the difference between requests that require accommodation and shifting of workloads, and those that may be more discretionary.

One rule to keep in mind is to know your state law.  Many states have little-used laws requiring employers to accommodate some specific school-related parental tasks.  Before responding to an employee's request, or making a request of your employer, make sure you check the leave law, if there is one.  In Massachusetts, the Small Necessities Leave Act (the SNLA) provides employees whom meet the eligibility requirements under the federal Family Medical Leave Act with an additional 24 hours of leave per 12-month period, which may be taken in increments of one-hour or more in order to:

(1)  participate in school activities directly related to the educational advancement of a son or daughter of the employee, such as parent-teacher conferences or interviewing for a new school; or 

(2)  to accompany the son or daughter of the employee to routine medical or dental appointments, such as check-ups or vaccinations.

In addition, the SNLA also allows the 24 hours of leave to be used to accompany an elderly relative of the employee to routine medical or dental  appointments or appointments for other professional services related to the elder’s care, such as interviewing at nursing or group homes.   

While many employers are able to offer more generous leave than the law requires, when dealing with employees caring for their children (and parents) it is of vital importance to know what laws apply to your workplace before responding to leave requests. 

Happy September!!