sick day policy for hourly office employees

mlwk

We offer three sick days to office employees after one year with the company. Of course some employees make sure they use them each year and others do not. The ones we are concerned about are those who use their three days and then continue to call in sick at least two or three times each month. Would we be within the law to create a policy where we have the ability to ask for a doctor excuse from those who are habitually calling in sick? I hesitate to make it mandatory for everyone because there may be times when someone may have the flu or headache and not really need to go to the doctor, or if a person is hospitalized and use up their three days, etc. I don't want to punish everyone for the few who spoil it.

Looking for advise.

System

Don't punish everyone because of a few slackers. Your good employees are already being punished by having to cover for their lazy co-workers.

The best solution is for supervisors to clamp down on the problem employees who have excessive absences that aren't protected by FMLA or ADA: require doctors notes, address it in evaluations, and use progressive discipline, including termination. But if a supervisor isn't willing to do his or her job, then it will be very difficult for HR to address attendance problems.

James Sokolowski
Senior Editor
M. Lee Smith Publishers

HRManager

What about exempt employees? We have a policy which states that they are allowed three sick days. What should happen after that?