The American Rescue Plan Act is Signed into Law

by | Apr 2, 2021 | Employment Law, Time & Attendance

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which is the latest bill to address the ongoing economic impacts of COVID-19, has been signed into law. Most aspects of the law do not directly affect the HR function, but those that do—optional extension of sick and family leave...

An employee of ours had a brief coughing fit today, but she says she just had something caught in her throat. As far as we’ve seen, she hasn’t experienced any symptoms associated with COVID-19 other than this one time. Do we need to send her home just in case? 

by | Jan 25, 2021 | covid-19, Time & Attendance

Answer from Kyle, PHR: No. If you’ve confirmed that she isn’t experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, I would recommend treating this instance of coughing as a one-off event and not indicative of the virus. You can remind her and other employees to stay home if they are...

What is the minimum amount of time that a salaried exempt employee must work to be paid for the entire day?

by | Jan 25, 2021 | Employment Law, Payroll, Time & Attendance

Question: What is the minimum amount of time that a salaried exempt employee must work to be paid for the entire day? Answer from Megan, SPHR, JD: If an exempt employee does any work, they must be paid for the full day—there is no minimum. For example, if an employee...

Maine Law Alert: 2021 Earned Paid Leave and Minimum Wage

by | Nov 30, 2020 | Earned Paid Leave, Human Resources, Payroll, Time & Attendance

Minimum Wage On January 1, 2021, Maine’s minimum wage will increase to $12.15 per hour. The tipped employee direct wage will increase to $6.08 per hour. Earned Paid Leave Starting on January 1, 2021, employers that have 11 or more employees working in Maine must...

How to Support a Grieving Employee

by | Nov 13, 2020 | Human Resources, Time & Attendance

Everyone experiences grief at some point in their life and yet for being such a common experience, it’s also one that few of us are fully equipped to navigate. In part, this is because grief is such an overwhelming and horrible experience. Nothing can prepare you for...

One of my employees has requested time off to vote. My state doesn’t require voting leave, but this employee works in a different state and we have employees located across the country. What do I need to do here?

by | Oct 23, 2020 | Human Resources, Time & Attendance, Voting Leave

Answer from Kyle, PHR: If an employee of yours works in a state with a voting leave law, you will need to comply with that law. Most states require that employers provide at least a few hours to vote, and many of those states require some or all of that time to be...