Yes, alcohol can be a liability. Partygoers who overindulge could cause an accident or act in ways that violate your harassment policy. Here are some practices you might consider: Employers may be liable for employee misconduct and negligence when the employee is acting “in the course and scope of employment,” so make these kinds of […]
Category: HR Q&A
Q&A: What is “undue hardship” on a company?
We have had someone request an accommodation for a disability. Can you explain undue hardship? Under the ADA, an employer is required to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, so long as doing so does not create an undue hardship on the organization. Many state laws also use this standard with respect to accommodations […]
Q&A: Can we discipline employees for complaining about the company on social media?
Probably not. Depending on what they said, and who responded to it, their speech may be protected under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. Section 7 protects concerted activity by employees that relates to the terms on conditions of their employment. Concerted means “in concert,” so two or more employees must be involved, […]
Q&A: What sort of questions should we ask and avoid asking during a job interview?
The questions you ask in a job interview should all be job-related and nondiscriminatory. You should avoid questions that are not job-related or that cause an applicant to tell you about their inclusion in a protected class. For example, if the position requires someone to lift 25 pounds repeatedly throughout the day, you should ask […]
Q&A: Can we send employees home early because there isn’t any work to do?
Yes, you can send employees home early due to a lack of work. Just keep in mind that exempt employees would need to be paid their entire salary for the day. Non-exempt employees would only need to be paid for actual hours worked, unless you operate in a state with reporting time pay requirements. If […]
Q&A: Reducing Stress in the Workplace
Answer from Jenny, SPHR, SHRM-SCP: Here are a few things you can do to make the busy season run as smoothly and stress-free as possible: Remove or reassign non-essential work duties: Before the busy season begins, ask employees to make a list of tasks that others could feasibly handle for them or that could be […]
Q&A: What to Do When an Employee Doesn’t Want You to Follow a Wage Garnishment
Valid wage garnishments need to be followed regardless of the affected employee’s feelings on the matter. In this case, you should go ahead and follow the instructions from the garnishing agency, withholding and sending them the specified amounts.
Q&A: How do we know if our managers are performing well?
If a team is getting its work done, but the individuals on that team are not developing professionally, then the manager in charge of that team may not managing as well as they could be. Perhaps they aren’t coaching employees, clearly outlining expectations, or addressing under-performance when it arises. That’s worth bringing up with them when discussing their performance.
Q&A: Should We Interview an Employee Accused of Harassment Before Terminating Them?
If you were to skip the interview with him, while typically interviewing other employees who have been accused of harassment or misconduct, he could claim that your decision in his case was discriminatory. A consistent practice protects you against discrimination claims, and since you’ll often need to talk to accused employees to get a full picture of what happened, it’s best to consistently interview all employees accused of wrongdoing.
Q&A: Can We Conduct a Background Check If We Haven’t Done One Before?
Kate has several years of experience working in customer service and quickly moved into HR. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Kate loves to explore the country with her husband and friends. .