COVID-19 Relief Bill: Tax Credits for Paid Leave Extended to March 31

by | Jan 4, 2021 | covid-19, Employment Law, Human Resources

A new $900 Billion coronavirus relief bill became law and answers the question of whether federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and Emergency Family and Medical Leave (EFMLA) will be extended. The answer is yes, but it’s an option not a requirement. Here’s what...

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, should we cancel our annual holiday party?

by | Dec 7, 2020 | Business Tips, covid-19, General News

Answer from Emily, PHR: We would certainly recommend not having an in-person event this year, which could put your company, employees, customers, and community at risk. If your event spreads the virus, your employees could become sick, much of your workforce may need...

Four Steps to Take When an Employee Is Diagnosed with COVID-19

by | Nov 30, 2020 | Business Tips, covid-19

As COVID-19 infection rates continue to climb, it’s imperative that organizations respond quickly when an employee is diagnosed. Here are the steps employers should take: Notify Employees  Employees should be notified of potential exposure in the workplace, but they...

We recently hired an older individual whose start date is next Monday, but I would like to push back their start date because we’ve just had an employee test positive for COVID-19. Would this be allowed? We will be testing everyone in the workplace, but I know older employees may be at higher risk.

by | Oct 14, 2020 | covid-19, Human Resources

Answer from Daniel, SHRM-CP: You will need to tread carefully here. Pushing back an employee’s start date because of their age would be a clear case of age discrimination, even if you’re operating with the best of intentions. Age discrimination is illegal under the...

We’ve had a lot of turnover since the pandemic started and are thinking about doing exit interviews to see if we can find out why. Do you have any suggestions?

by | Oct 1, 2020 | Business Tips, Human Resources

Answer from Sarah, PHR, SHRM-CP: Exit interviews can be a very useful tool — if you’re prepared to act on what you learn — so it’s great that you’re thinking about using them. I’ll cover some basics. Exit interviews typically use one of two formats: an in-person...