What are the basic steps of a harassment investigation?

by | Jun 11, 2024 | Human Resources

Investigating a claim of harassment can be intimidating. For this Q&A, we’ve provided a condensed overview of the steps for an investigation:   Select an interviewer. This person should be an impartial manager, company officer, or HR representative. Ideally,...

We have a longtime employee who’s no longer meeting expectations. The owner is afraid to hold them accountable because they’re over 40 and therefore in a protected class. What can we do?

by | Jun 7, 2024 | Employment Law, Human Resources

In general, you shouldn’t let an employee’s protected class status deter you from holding them accountable to your performance expectations. After all, everyone belongs to protected classes. Being in one simply means you can’t be treated differently because you’re in...

Are there questions or topics we should avoid during the hiring process? How can we be sure we don’t accidentally get into one of those topics?

by | May 14, 2024 | Employment Law, Human Resources

Answered by the HR Experts You should avoid asking questions that could be viewed as discriminatory or that infringe on a candidate’s privacy. Essentially, you want to avoid any questions that are not directly related to the candidate’s ability to perform the job....

What can we do about an employee who is taking too many restroom breaks?

by | May 14, 2024 | Human Resources

Answered by the HR Experts Start by asking yourself if the employee’s restroom breaks are genuinely causing problems. Focus on the employee’s productivity and performance (as well as any coverage issues) rather than the amount of time spent in the restroom. If the...

We’re planning to close the office a few days a week to save money. Do salaried exempt employees still get their full pay during these furloughs?

by | May 8, 2024 | Human Resources, Payroll, Time & Attendance

Yes, salaried exempt employees must be paid their full weekly salary if they do any work during your designated seven-day workweek, including tasks as quick as checking work email or voicemail. As your goal is to save money, be sure the furlough covers the full...

Federal Law Alert: DOL Increases Exempt Employee Minimum Salaries

by | May 6, 2024 | General News, Human Resources, Payroll

On April 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published the much-anticipated final rule that will increase the minimum salary for many exempt employees. The increase will take effect in two steps. If you’d like to review the regulations yourself, they are...