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We’re the people behind payroll.
Payroll Management is a family-owned and operated independent payroll processing, HR, time and attendance, and tax support services provider for small and medium-sized businesses that want personalized service from real people.
We have an employee who is going on a leave of absence. We will need to hire a temporary employee to cover those duties. What do we need to know about hiring a temporary employee?
Answer from Emily, MBA, SPHR: The process for hiring a temporary employee is like hiring regular employees. You will post the position, go through a selection process, ensure all necessary new hire paperwork is completed, and onboard the temporary employee. Just be...
We have a remote employee who is working through their lunch break. Can we require them to take it?
Answer from Celine, SHRM-CP: Yes, generally you can and should require an employee to take a lunch break. In many states, employers are required to provide employees with rest breaks, meal breaks, or both, and are sometimes even required to provide them at specific...
We need to terminate an employee due to poor performance. Should we give them a letter outlining why we are terminating them?
Answer from Daniel, SHRM-CP: There is no federal requirement for employers to provide written notice about why someone is being terminated, but we do recommend providing written notice as best practice. This reduces the likelihood of the terminated employee spinning...
What You Need to Know About Lactation Accommodations
Breastfeeding employees who are returning to work usually know how much extra work pumping is going to be. They’ve thought about the bulky pump and its multiple attachments, how they can bring it into and out of the workplace inconspicuously, whether they’ll have time...
Workers’ Compensation: Is There a Better Way to Pay?
Paying your workers’ compensation insurance policy may not be something you’ve considered closely, but it can have a substantial impact on your business’s cash flow. Typically, employers make two or three installment payments on their workers’ comp insurance policy...
We are considering having different employee handbooks for our exempt and nonexempt employees. Can we have multiple versions of our employee handbook?
Answer from Shawna, SHRM-CP: There’s no rule against having multiple employee handbooks, but there are some factors to consider. Having multiple versions would lead to more administrative work to ensure all handbooks are up to date and consistent. If you have separate...
An employee came to us with a harassment complaint but said they didn’t want us to do anything about it. Do we have to do an investigation?
Answer from Sergio, SHRM-CP: Yes, you should still investigate the complaint. Not investigating could expose you to legal risk if more employees come forward with complaints, if the employee later decides to take their complaint to a state or federal agency, or if the...
We have a repeat applicant whom we offered a job to in the past. This candidate failed a drug screen back then, so we rescinded the offer. Can we reject them now based on their past drug screen result?
Answer from Kyle, PHR: No, chances are that rejecting an applicant based on a previous drug screen will violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of a disability, which includes being in recovery from...
FMLA Turns 30: Let’s Get Back to Basics
For 30 years, HR professionals have been working with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), a federal law enacted to protect employees’ jobs and medical insurance when they need to take unpaid time away from work for certain family and medical reasons. While FMLA...
A candidate told us they have a disability. What do we need to do?
Answer from Rachel, SHRM-SCP: We recommend asking if they need an accommodation during the application process, but above all, ensure that having this information doesn’t influence your hiring decision. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to...
We recently had an open position that two employees were interested in. We’ve made our selection and our chosen employee accepted the role. How do we tell the other employee they were not selected?
Answer from Laura, MA, SHRM-CP: We recommend having a face-to-face conversation with the employee who wasn’t selected to let them know that someone else was selected for the role. If you elaborate on your decision not to select this employee for the position, keep the...
Can an employee waive overtime pay with a signed letter?
Answer from Kim, SPHR, AAM, CPIW: No. An employee can’t waive their right to overtime pay, even if they want to. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) prohibits the waiver of an employee's rights to overtime pay (and minimum wage) in nearly all circumstances....
Payroll Management, Inc.
550 Center Street STE 1210
P.O. Box 1837
Auburn, ME 04211-1837