Question: I just received a call asking for a verification of employment for one of my employees. I thought everything was good based on recent conversations, but now I’m not sure what is going on. Can I ask them if they are job hunting? Answer: Legally, yes, you can ask since you learned about the […]

Question: What deductions can we take from a non-exempt employee’s paycheck? Answer: First, make any deductions required by law such as taxes, unemployment, and Social Security. This would also include garnishments required by a legal authority such as the courts or IRS.  Any other deductions would need to be categorized as those for the [...]

Question:  We do not have formal drivers in our company. Do I need a driving policy? Answer: Yes, we recommend even companies without formal driving positions have a Driving for the Company policy in their handbook. In fact, some business insurance carriers recommend or require it as well.  Most companies have employees who may drive on […]

Question: We are re-opening the office and have some employees who are vaccinated while others are not. Do we have to implement any different procedures or policies? Answer:  Allowing fully vaccinated individuals to unmask and requiring those without a vaccine to continue masking adheres to the recent CDC (and in many instances state and local) [...]

Question: During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to make changes to our paid time off policy. While we normally do not allow carry-over, we did give our employees the option in 2020. Now that people are able to travel again to use time off, can we go back to our previous practice? […]

Question: We were required to offer employees paid time off under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act (FFCRA) last year. Do I still need to? Answer: While it is no longer mandatory for employers with fewer than 500 employees to offer this time off, it is voluntary. The Consolidated Appropriations Act signed by President Trump […]

Question: An employee posted concerning comments on their personal social media page. I am worried this may impact our business. Can I take any action against the employee? Answer: Maybe. While an employee’s social media postings are personal, they are not private since they are shared with a broad audience. There are some posts which […]

Question: Can I as an employer require my employees to get a vaccine for COVID? Answer: Yes, the EEOC recently advised that employers are within their rights to require a COVID vaccine as a condition of employment. (https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-covid-19-and-ada-rehabilitation-act-and-other-eeo-laws) Employers must, however, [...]