Should we cancel our annual holiday party again this year?

Answer from Kyle, PHR: Ultimately, that’s your decision. Some companies are forgoing an in-person holiday party again this year, while others feel like it’s safe enough to celebrate in person. Unfortunately, COVID cases and hospitalizations due to the virus are rising...

What are effective ways to manage remote employees and monitor their work?  

Answer from Sarah, PHR, SHRM-CP: Managing remote employees can certainly be a challenge. Here are some of the practices we recommend: Set measurable goals around quality of work. Whether employees get their work done to your satisfaction is more important to your...

How to Design a Powerhouse Team

Many Americans get their first job working at a fast-food chain. You may have been one of them. If so, you probably remember your first day. Maybe you started at a register. Or perhaps you began in the kitchen. Either way, you had a lot to learn in a short amount of...

One of our employees has taken on a second job, and I’m concerned the additional work might hurt his performance or interfere with his work for us. What do you recommend?

Answer from Kyle, PHR: If you haven’t had previous issues with this employee’s performance, I wouldn’t worry too much about his taking a second job. Side jobs are common, and many people manage them just fine. You can certainly reiterate your performance expectations,...

What should I do if an employee moves to a different state and will be working from there?

Answer from Emily, SPHR: There are several things you need to do if an employee moves out of state: If you don’t already have other employees there, you’ll need to set up payroll tax accounts in the new state. The state in which the employee physically works is the...

Is a Work-From-Home Policy Right for Your Business?

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations and businesses all over the world closed their offices to keep employees healthy and safe. Now that we are on the other side of the health crisis, workers are reluctant to go back to their office full time....