Blog
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
California workers will see more paid sick time off under new law
California workers will see more paid sick time off under new law SACRAMENTO — California workers will be entitled to five paid sick days, up from the current three, under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday. The state’s powerful labor unions lobbied heavily for the legislation, which stalled at the Capitol in previous years but gained momentum after the
Kaiser Permanente Strike Update
Dear [Kaiser members], We’ll keep bargaining until we reach an agreement Kaiser Permanente and leaders and members of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions continue bargaining today and have been making progress. We are working hard to reach a fair and equitable agreement that strengthens Kaiser Permanente as a best place to work and ensures that the high-quality care our
Question: Can we tell nonexempt employees not to check email and messages when they’re supposed to be off the clock?
Sergio | SHRM-CP | HR Snapshot by Choice Builder Question: Can we tell nonexempt employees not to check email and messages when they’re supposed to be off the clock? They’ve been doing this a lot, and we don’t want to have to continue paying them for this additional, unscheduled time. Answer: Yes, you can tell nonexempt employees that they shouldn’t read