Kristin McGurn and Sally Adams Quoted in The Boston Globe

Kristin McGurn and Sally Adams were quoted in a column focused on workplace issues published on January 15, 2006 by The Boston Globe (“Region’s snow day becomes company’s paid vacation day”) regarding the practice of employers charging employees with a vacation day when a workplace is closed because of a weather emergency.

The columnist wrote that for help with these issues, she turned to Kristin McGurn, who advised, “Employers are free to implement vacation policies, or not, as they see fit. These policies can require or prohibit taking vacation at certain times, and always require paying out accrued vacation when an employee leaves the job.”

The column continues: “In general, the Labor Department permits employers to require the use of a vacation day when the office is closed for inclement weather. Sally Adams, also at Seyfarth Shaw, summarized a Labor Department opinion: For exempt employees, the Department of Labor permits salary deductions when the employer keeps the workplace open during inclement weather and the employee misses a full day of work. This is because an employer may take deductions from an exempt employee’s salary who is absent from work for one or more full days for `personal reasons.’”

“What is apparent,” the column concludes, “is the importance of having clearly communicated policies regarding vacation and other leave time to ensure employee morale is maintained.”