Can a part-time employee be exempt?

Answer from Aimee, GPHR, SHRM-SCP: Yes, a part-time employee may be classified as exempt. The minimum salary and duties requirements must still be met, of course. And the minimum salary cannot be prorated when an exempt employee works part-time. In other words, the...

If an employee runs out of paid time off, can we allow them to take an unpaid leave?

Answer from Kim, SPHR, AAM, CPIW: In most cases, yes. In general, you can offer the option of unpaid leave when an employee has used all of their paid leave time. A few things to keep in mind: In some situations, such as under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the...

How do we handle leave paperwork when the employee needing leave is incapacitated or unable to be reached directly?

Answer from Margaret, PHR, SHRM-CP: In the event you’re made aware that an employee needs medical leave, but the employee is not available for direct contact due to inpatient care in a facility or incapacitation, send the applicable leave paperwork to the employee’s...

Can we do reference checks for only certain roles?

Answer from Daniel, SHRM-CP: Yes, as long as you’re not discriminating based on protected classes or characteristics, you can conduct reference checks for certain roles but not others. For example, you may decide that supervisory roles or positions with access to...

Four Ways to Make Terminations Less Stressful

In the 2009 movie Up in the Air, George Clooney and Anna Kendrick play corporate downsizers—HR consultants that companies across the country hire to terminate employees for them. The practice wasn’t exactly common at the time, and fortunately never took off, but it...

Is there anything special we should know before terminating a remote employee?

Answer from Kim, SPHR, SHRM-SCP: Terminations involving remote employees function much the same as those in a physical worksite, but there are some things to keep in mind: If the employee works in a different state, you’ll need to follow that state’s laws regarding...