If a holiday like New Year’s Eve falls on a weekend when we’re closed, and we typically give employees that holiday off, do we have to offer employees an alternative day off?

by | Mar 4, 2022 | Human Resources, Time & Attendance

Answer from Emily, MBA, SPHR: No, the way you designate holiday closures is largely up to you. No federal law requires you to offer holidays off or offer alternative days off if you’re closed on a holiday (Massachusetts and Rhode Island both have laws that address...

What is a workweek? Is it just our hours of operation?

by | Jan 4, 2022 | Human Resources, Time & Attendance

Answer from Kelley, PHR: A workweek is not the same thing as your hours of operation. Rather, it defines the 168-hour period (i.e., seven 24-hour days) in which you track your non-exempt employees’ time to determine whether they’re owed any overtime premium pay. The...

An employee worked unauthorized overtime. Do we have to pay them the time and a half for these hours?

by | Dec 14, 2021 | Employment Law, Human Resources, Payroll, Time & Attendance

Answer from Margaret, PHR, SHRM-CP: Yes. Any overtime worked by non-exempt employees must be compensated, regardless of whether the overtime was authorized. We recommend communicating with the employee about work expectations outside of their scheduled workday, making...

What is a leave entitlement?

by | Oct 19, 2021 | Earned Paid Leave, Employment Law, Human Resources

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....

5 Things to Know When Hiring Seasonal Employees

by | Jun 3, 2021 | Business Tips, Employment Law, Taxes, Time & Attendance

Seasonal job positions are integral to many businesses—big and small—remaining operational. These positions are typically filled during a company’s busiest or peak business time when extra help is needed (holiday rush), or a particular season that corresponds to the...

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

by | May 4, 2021 | Earned Paid Leave, Employment Law, Human Resources, Time & Attendance

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...