Blog
Question: Can we decrease the number of hours employees work?
Daniel | SHRM-SCP| Question: Can we decrease the number of hours employees work? Answer: Yes. Absent an employment contract or other legally binding agreement, you can reduce an employee’s work hours—there is no law that prevents this. Hours are typically reduced for reasons such as a decrease in business needs, the company’s productivity has decreased, job restructuring, or reorganization.It’s important, however, to
Thanksgiving Holiday Closure
With wish to express our appreciation for each of you this Thanksgiving season. Thank you for your continued friendship and partnership. Wishing you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving! Please note that our offices will be closed beginning Wednesday afternoon, November 22, 2023, and will resume normal business hours on Monday, November 27, 2023, at 8:00am. Thank you!
Question: Can we prohibit employees from dyeing their hair bright pink, aqua, or other extreme colors?
Rachel | SHRM-SCP Question: Can we prohibit employees from dyeing their hair bright pink, aqua, or other extreme colors? Answer: Yes. Non-natural hair color is not a protected characteristic. Even so, there are a few things you may want to consider before making a policy about this: “Extreme” hair colors are becoming more and more common, so restricting colors may dampen employee
Question: Are we required to have an introductory period for new employees?
Kim| SPHR | HR WOW Answer: No. Some employers call the first few weeks or months of an employee’s time with the company an introductory period, but this designation has no bearing on the rights employers or employees have. An introductory period doesn’t reduce the risks of termination (you should still have a good business reason and documentation) or mean that an
Veterans Day Office Closure
Our office will be closed in observance of Veterans Day on Friday, November 10, 2023 and will return to normal hours on Monday, November 13, 2023 at 8 am PST. Thank you to all that have worked so hard to fight for and protect our country and our freedoms! We honor and salute you and your families for your service and sacrifice.
Question: We have an exempt employee who has been taking a lot of long lunches and my boss wants to deduct time from her paid time off (PTO) bank. Can we dock her PTO for taking a long lunch?
Kelley| PHR Answer: You can deduct hours from this exempt employee’s PTO bank for time she was scheduled to work but didn’t work, but if it wasn’t made clear that you expected her to follow a set schedule, you’d only want to do this going forward. However, we’d suggest considering a different approach. First, speak to her about the long lunches.
Question: We’d like to cater lunch for employees. Do we need to ask them about food allergies?
Answer: No. However, employees who do have food allergies or restrictions would likely appreciate it if you made sure that they also get to partake of the free food. You can manage this by asking employees about food preferences or prohibitions ahead of time, ordering a variety of items so that everyone has at least one option, and listing the
How to ensure your company makes the most of its benefits dollars
EBN | J.R. Clark | 09/07/2023 Record-setting inflation and general economic uncertainty are causing everyone to exercise caution, including employers. Although some experts suggest the “great resignation” has subsided, the number of Americans who quit their jobs actually accelerated in late 2022. People are leaving their jobs in search of things like better pay, more flexible work arrangements, and increased vacation time. While
California Increases Paid Sick Leave in 2024
State Law Alert October 16th, 2023 California Increases Paid Sick Leave in 2024 California was on the cutting edge of employee sick leave benefits when it rolled out Paid Sick Leave in 2015, but the 24 hours provided soon looked meager compared to the amounts offered by other states and localities. Now, eight years in, the state has increased the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Reporting Opens October 31
Federal Law Alert October 17th, 2023 Federal: EEO-1 Reporting Opens October 31 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced that 2022 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection opens on October 31, 2023. The EEO-1 Component 1 report is a mandatory filing required of all private sector employers with 100 or more employees, and federal contractors and subcontractors with 50 or