Question: Can an employer legally make their employees use their accumulated vacation hours? Answer from Sarah, PHR, SHRM-CP: Yes. An employer can tell an employee that they need to take time off. However, that rarely bodes well for the morale of the employee if they don’t want to take the time off. Some employers have […]
Category: HR Q&A
Q&A: What do you advise regarding screening social media accounts during the hiring process?
Question: What do you advise regarding screening social media accounts during the hiring process? Answer from Emily, PHR: We strongly recommend against reviewing a candidate’s social media accounts during the interview process. By doing so, you could be exposed to information about the protected classes to which your candidate belongs. For instance, if you went […]
Increase your chances of being contacted for your dream job.
Increase your chances of being contacted for your dream job. HR Talent Solutions by HR Girlfriends offers a FREE service to you as a job seeker — RESUME CRITIQUE! This service gives you the opportunity to have your resume sent to a resume-writing expert. Within 48 hours of opt-in, you will receive an evaluation outlining […]
Q&A: We want to hire an administrative assistant. Can we classify this person as an independent contractor during a 90-day try-out period … ?
Question: Question: We want to hire an administrative assistant. Can we classify this person as an independent contractor during a 90-day try-out period and then, if they work out, hire them as a full-time employee at the end of the 90 days? Answer from Monica, SPHR, SHRM-CP: It’s highly unlikely that an administrative assistant would […]
Engagement Starts With You
I was honored to be the keynote speaker at EBG’s invitation only breakfast on April 27th. The opportunity reminded me that whenever I am in the room with other HR professionals I feel right at home. My talk was entitled Best Practices for building a Winning Company Culture: What it Takes to Engage the Modern […]
Q&A: One of our employees has chicken pox. Is it okay to tell our other employees about this condition?
Question: One of our employees has chicken pox. Is it okay to tell our other employees about this condition? Answer from Monica, SPHR, SHRM-CP: I recommend informing employees that they may have been exposed to chicken pox, but I would not reveal the name of the employee who has the condition. I would also limit […]
Q&A: Can we ask an applicant why they are leaving their current job?
Question: Can we ask an applicant why they are leaving their current job? Answer from Monica, SPHR, SHRM-CP: Yes, you may ask a candidate why they left a previous job or why they are looking to leave their current job. It’s fine to ask this question during the interview, but we recommend you collect this […]
Q&A: An employee has requested company wage guidelines. Are we required to show these to them?
Question: An employee has requested company wage guidelines. Are we required to show these to them? Answer from Margaret, PHR, SHRM-CP: No. Some employers choose to disclose the salary ranges for jobs, but you are not required to show an employee your company wage guidelines, nor do you need to share with them what other […]
Federal Law Alert: Sexual Orientation Protected in Employment
Sexual Orientation Protected in Employment, According to Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals On April 4th, 2017, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals became the first federal Appellate Court to rule that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, sex includes sexual orientation. The Court’s ruling creates law only in Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. […]
Q&A: What happens if an employee’s FMLA time has run out, but they say they’re not able to return to work?
Question: What happens if an employee’s FMLA time has run out, but they say they’re not able to return to work? Answer from Sarah, PHR, SHRM-CP: Even if an employee has exhausted their FMLA leave for the year, their condition may fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA, a disabled employee […]