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...

What is a leave entitlement?

Answer from Kyle, PHR: The term leave can refer to just about any type of time away from work, but it’s often used to describe time an employee is entitled to take by law or company policy. Common leave entitlements include vacation, personal days, and sick days....

Maine Law Alert: Alert Icon Maine Bans the Box, Expands EEO, and More

Maine has banned the box, added familial status and status as a domestic violence victim to its list of classes that are protected from employment discrimination, and added caring for a sick grandchild as a reason to take family and medical leave. All changes are...

What is a disability?

Answer from Kim, SPHR, AAM, CPIW: Our definition of disability comes from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). According to the ADA, an individual with a disability is a person who: Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major...

Some of our employees have been careless on the job and broken company property. Can we deduct the cost of replacing the broken items from their paychecks?

Answer from Monica, SPHR, SHRM-CP: Probably not. Many states have imposed significant limitations on what kinds of things employers can take a deduction for, and often the deduction also requires employee consent. In addition, most deductions that would take an...

What are protected classes?

Answer from Kyle, PHR: Protected classes—also sometimes called protected characteristics—come from anti-discrimination law. We talk about them with respect to employment laws, but they also come into play in housing and education. The classes and characteristics...