While only five states and the District of Columbia have passed paid sick leave laws, more and more municipalities—most recently Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago—are passing ordinances that require employers to provide paid sick time. Paid sick leave is clearly a trend—one we can expect to continue. While each paid sick leave law has […]
Category: HR Q&A
When to Take a Chance on an Inexperienced Applicant
Every hiring manager receives applications from people who are clearly unqualified for the job. Sometimes, however, a candidate with no direct or seemingly-relevant experience applies for a position and, for some reason or another, captures their attention. Often the manager believes the promising applicant could be an exceptional employee, but that hiring the applicant poses […]
Q&A: Can we require exempt employees to clock in & out?
Question: Can we require exempt employees to clock in and out? Answer from Aimee, GPHR, SHRM-SCP: While it doesn’t violate the FLSA to have an exempt employee clock in and out, I recommend only tracking exempt hours if there is a business reason to do so. There are some valid reasons for tracking exempt employee […]
Tip of the Month: July
Multitasking is a myth! Human brains simply cannot pay attention to two things at once. Instead, our focus operates like a flashlight, which can illuminate a thing over here or a thing over there, but not both at the same time. When we ask someone to multitask, they are just switching their focus back and […]
Want Your Organization to Stand Above the Crowd? Create an Engaging Workplace!
Most employees are not engaged at work—70% according to Gallup. This is no new trend. The combined number of unengaged and actively disengaged employees remains high from year to year. Poor engagement results in less productivity, less creativity, higher absenteeism, and higher turnover. Employee engagement is basically a measure of your employees’ commitment to their […]
Q&A: What is the technical or otherwise common definition of an employee’s termination date?
Question: What is the technical or otherwise common definition of an employee’s termination date? Is it the date the on which the termination occurs or the last date the employee performed work? Answer from Monica, SPHR, SHRM-CP: Typically, the termination date is the day that the actual termination occurred. It may or may not coincide […]
Q&A: We have an employee who has an illness covered by the Americans with Disability Act. … Would it be reasonable to demote her …?
Question: We have an employee who has an illness covered by the Americans with Disability Act. The employee provided us with a letter from her doctor stating that she needs to be able to work from home 2 to 3 days per week. This employee is a Team Lead and we need her to be […]
Q&A: What is the purpose of a performance improvement plan? Can’t we just terminate employment for poor performance?
Question: What is the purpose of a performance improvement plan? Can’t we just terminate employment for poor performance? Answer from Emily, PHR: The use of a performance improvement plan (PIP) can help reduce the risk inherent in any termination. A PIP is used to help employees whose performance has slipped, become inconsistent, or otherwise needs […]
Q&A: We rehired a former employee. Do they need to fill out the new hire paperwork again?
Question: We rehired a former employee. Do they need to fill out the new hire paperwork again? Answer from Marisa, PHR: The company has some discretion here as to whether to collect a full rehire packet or not. We generally recommend that the employee fills out the paperwork again. Keep in mind that there may […]
Pregnancy, maternity leave and how telecommuting is changing the game for women.
Technology Means Pregnancy is No Longer a Career Breaker Maternity leave is often a nightmare for both women having to put their careers on hold for a year or so and for HR departments trying to manage transitions, career advancements, and coverage not to mention rights and benefits. However, technology is developing something of a […]