Can we prohibit personal phone use during work hours?

Employees are spending a lot of time on their phones (scrolling social media, browsing the internet, listening to music or podcast). Can we prohibit personal phone use during work hours? Answer from Rachel, SHRM-SCP: Yes, you can limit or prohibit use of personal...

Pride Month Reminds Us That There’s a Lot More Work to Do

A year ago, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that employers may not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment. The decision was a response to three separate cases, all of which were about employment discrimination based on...

Can I ask applicants if they need a reasonable accommodation to perform the job?

Answer from Margaret, PHR, SHRM-CP: No, for the most part asking an applicant whether they need an accommodation would constitute a pre-employment disability inquiry, which is prohibited under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Prior to making an offer of...

How to Interview and Hire in a Virtual Environment

In order to adapt during the last year, many businesses had to quickly pivot from normal operations to adhere to changing state and federal safety guidelines to keep their staff and workplace safe. These business owners also had to create ways to keep their businesses...

What are the penalties and costs for misclassifying employees?

Answer from Kara, JD, SPHR: The answer will depend on a number of factors, such as how many employees are misclassified, how much extra money they would have been paid if properly classified, and whether or not lawyers or regulatory agencies get involved. Generally,...

Can we ask for more detail when an employee marks “personal” for the reason they’re requesting a vacation day?

Answer from Kate, SHRM-CP: You can generally ask employees to provide more information when they indicate that their vacation or PTO request is for personal reasons, but we don’t recommend it. The specific reasons for the day off shouldn’t affect whether you grant the...