September 14, 2018
Published by 
Stephanie Ramsey on September 14, 2018
Stephanie Ramsey on September 14, 2018The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 Mason Funeral Service is a 500-call funeral business located in the Central Northwest region of the United States. The business is family owned and managed by Donald and Cindy Mason. Don and Cindy have 10 full-time employees and a large roster of part-time employees they call upon as needed. Most have been with the business for multiple years, and they have a very strong and positive team-oriented atmosphere that all the employees appear to enjoy. One of their best full-time funeral directors, Jim, recently notified Don and Cindy that he had cancer and needed to undergo surgery and chemo treatment. The surgery and following treatments would keep him out of work for several weeks. Jim inquired about a medical leave and compensation. The business has various employee documents, including an employee handbook, […]
August 15, 2018
Published by Stephanie Ramsey on August 15, 2018
Stephanie Ramsey on August 15, 2018Employment laws are always changing, and can vary from state to state and even from one locality to another. There are a number of “hot topics” the people who run funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories need to be aware of. In the United States, employment laws seem to change as frequently as most people change their socks. This is because laws and regulations that relate to employees are enacted not only at the federal level but also at the state, county and city levels. News reports about proposed or implemented employment laws can help funeral home, cemetery and crematory owners and managers anticipate the impact their businesses may face, but such news tends to focus on major changes such as increases in the minimum wage or very controversial laws. But many employment laws don’t make the headlines and are only […]
August 15, 2018
Published by Stephanie Ramsey on August 15, 2018
Stephanie Ramsey on August 15, 2018Sexual harassment in the workplace continues to be a trending topic in the United States. While many would like to believe that harassment is not taking place in the funeral industry, in fact, this industry has not escaped these incidents. Various lawsuits have been filed against family-owned and international funeral businesses. Many funeral businesses understand the need to have anti- harassment policies as well as formal procedures in place for employees to report any harassment. Most anticipate they are never likely to receive such a report. However, the reality is that any funeral business may receive a complaint from an employee about experiencing sexual harassment while working. Frequently, such complaints catch owners and managers completely off guard, and they stumble when they attempt to deal with the situation. This may put them at greater risk for a costly lawsuit. So how […]
June 12, 2018
Published by Stephanie Ramsey on June 12, 2018
Stephanie Ramsey on June 12, 2018The newest employee policy being embraced by states, cities and counties is mandatory paid sick leave. In fact, on Friday, February 16th, 2018 Austin became the first city in Texas to require employers pay employees sick leave. The policy goes into effect on October 1, 2018. In less than 8 months, thousands of Austin employers will need to comply with this law. Can this happen in your area? Yes! Employers may want to start considering their current sick leave policies. More importantly, it would be beneficial to get some idea of the impact such a policy can have on your business as well as understanding what a possible mandatory paid sick leave policy enacted at federal, state or local level may require. Currently there are nine states that have mandatory sick leave requirements of employers. These states are Arizona, California, […]
June 1, 2018
Published by Stephanie Ramsey on June 1, 2018
Stephanie Ramsey on June 1, 2018SCENARIO: Jordan Watson, owner of Watson Family Funeral Services, recently found himself dealing with an employee situation he simply didn’t know how to address. His firm had been serving his East Coast community for multiple generations and had a stellar reputation. Indeed, he often thought of his staff as his extended family rather than employees. The business served just under 300 families per year, and the team frequently received accolades from the families it served. About six months ago, the longtime office manager, Shelia, retired. The assistant office manager, Karen, was promoted to her role and a new assistant office manager, Barbara, was hired. Barbara was new to the funeral industry but had a few years of experience working in a busy doctor’s office. All indications were that she would be a good fit for the position. After she […]