For approximately 18 months an employee has requested time off each month to attend “Couple’s Counseling” meetings lasting approximately 2 hours.

Am I within my rights as an employer to require a schedule of the remaining sessions be provided by the counselor or counseling institution?

If so, would the best method of obtaining this schedule be to have the employee ask the counselor to provide it? Or ask the employee for the contact info and request it the schedule myself?

Any advice would be appreciated.
Doing business in the State of Oregon

Why is the employee doing the counseling during work hours?

The counseling sessions are not available before or after work hours.

Counseling is always available before or after work hours or on the weekends.

Is this a homework question?

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Counseling is always available before or after work hours or on the weekends.

Is this a homework question?

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No, not a homework question. Just looking for input.

It is an improbable situation. Counselors make it their business to have hours that don't interfere with people's work times. I know; I'm a counselor.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

It is an improbable situation. Counselors make it their business to have hours that don't interfere with people's work times. I know; I'm a counselor.

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Perhaps the person in question is lying to the OP about these meetings in order to get time off.

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Originally Posted by odinn7

Perhaps the person in question is lying to the OP about these meetings in order to get time off.

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Or something...

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

It is an improbable situation. Counselors make it their business to have hours that don't interfere with people's work times. I know; I'm a counselor.

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The employee states the counselor has no weekend or after hours time slots available. (this has not been validated) I haven't pushed this issue because I thought it would run its course before now.
I'm not well versed in the duration of counseling services, I'm sure there are several factors to consider.

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Originally Posted by HR by Choice

The employee states the counselor has no weekend or after hours time slots available. (this has not been validated) I haven't pushed this issue because I thought it would run its course before now.
I'm not well versed in the duration of counseling services, I'm sure there are several factors to consider.

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Require proof.

The employee is very likely lying. No counselor in his or her right mind would have hours only during the workday. The counselor would have no clients.

In which state or country is this?

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

The employee is very likely lying. No counselor in his or her right mind would have hours only during the workday. The counselor would have no clients.

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It really depends if this is an individual counselor or if they are connected with a group, as well as the location. The PCS that is connected with the hospital I work for have bankers hours.

In the end, all the OP needs to do is to have the employee provide an excuse, a doctor's note if you will.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

In which state or country is this?

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Oregon.

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Originally Posted by J_9

Oregon.

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Yup. I see that at the bottom of the OP.

My post #10 - "Require proof."

You cannot contact the counselor without the employee's written permission. But you can require that employee provide a statement from the employee that appointments are not available during off hours and an estimate of the remaining length of the counseling.

On the other hand, if the employee does her job well and the 2 hours a month does not intefere with her performance, then I would be eilling to cut her some slack.

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Originally Posted by ScottGem

You cannot contact the counselor without the employee's written permission. But you can require that employee provide a statement from the employee that appointments are not available during off hours and an estimate of the remaining length of the counseling.

On the other hand, if the employee does her job well and the 2 hours a month does not intefere with her performance, then I would be eilling to cut her some slack.

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Thank you Scott,
This is more of what I was looking for.

The meat of my question was about the right to obtain a schedule for the remaining counseling sessions and the proper way to obtain it.

I have a reasonable amount of HR expense, but do not claim to be an expert.
When the issue involves counseling or treatments I prefer to tread cautiously and glean a little advise.

I appreciate the other responses, however they leaned more toward taking the actions that prompted my original question.

I allowed the employee to attend the counselling sessions for what I thought was a reasonable amount of time. Once the line between reasonable and excessive was crossed I wanted the schedule to verify the time away from work was justified.

On a side note. Yesterday afternoon I did grant the employee permission to attend the upcoming counselling session, but asked that she schedule the remaining sessions before or after work hours. She replied "I'll just stop going"

I think her response sums it up.

You have been more than accommodating, especially without proof. Couple counseling shouldn't last 18 months, period. It isn't supposed to be therapy, but short term lessons in how to communicate.
Employees don't have rights to medical privacy from their employers, contrary to what many of them think. It isn't just about lying to get off work; it's also about liability of the employer in regards to safe use of equipment, getting around the building, and endangering others either through infection, violence, or misuse of the workplace.