Compliance
California Updates Criminal History Regulations
State Law Alert September 18th, 2023 California Updates Criminal History Regulations California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) regulations will be updated as of October 1, 2023. The updated regulations govern how employers with five or more employees can use criminal history information when making employment decisions. Here are highlights of the changes: The definition of “applicant” will now include
What is pay transparency, and how does it help employers?
Sarah| PHR, SHRM-CP Pay transparency refers to sharing information about pay with applicants, employees, and possibly the entire world. While some states and localities require that employers include a pay range with job postings, many employers now choose to do this on their own to stay competitive. But pay transparency can be taken much further. Employers that really want to
Question: We would like to give candidates a “thank you” for interviewing with us. Can we provide a monetary gift to candidates for interviewing?
Question: We would like to give candidates a “thank you” for interviewing with us. Can we provide a monetary gift to candidates for interviewing? Answer: Yes. You can give a candidate a thank you gift, monetary or otherwise, when they interview with you. We would recommend establishing a process for providing thank you gifts to ensure consistency and equity in determining who
Federal DOL Announces Proposed Rule to Increase Exempt Employee Minimum Salaries
Federal Law Alert September 5th, 2023 Federal DOL Announces Proposed Rule to Increase Exempt Employee Minimum Salaries The federal Department of Labor (DOL) has finally announced the release of its proposed rule to increase the minimum salary required for certain employees to be classified as exempt from minimum wage and overtime. While we don’t usually report on proposed rules because they have a
California Minimum Wage Increase
State Law Alert July 31st, 2023 California Minimum Wage Increase On Monday, July 31, the California Department of Finance Director Joe Stephenshaw officially certified that beginning January 1, 2024, California’s minimum wage will increase from $15.50 per hour to $16 per hour for all employers, regardless of size. Per California’s Labor Code, once the state’s minimum wage reaches $15 per hour — which
Do we need to conduct an investigation if one of our employees has accused another employee of harassment at a non-work event?
Jenny | SPHR, SHRM-SCP Question: Do we need to conduct an investigation if one of our employees has accused another employee of harassment at a non-work event? Answer: Absolutely. It is important to remember that not all interactions between employees take place
What is intermittent leave under the FMLA, and when can employees use it?
Question: What is intermittent leave under the FMLA, and when can employees use it? Answer: Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), intermittent leave is leave taken in multiple blocks of time, each less than the employee’s full FMLA entitlement, for the same ongoing reason. Examples of intermittent leave include an employee taking a day each week for ongoing cancer treatments or a pregnant
New Form I-9 and Remote Verification Procedure Rolled Out
Federal Law Alert July 26th, 2023 New Form I-9 and Remote Verification Procedure Rolled Out UPDATED FORM I-9 A new Form I-9 (Rev. 08/01/23) will be available for employers to use on or after August 1, 2023, and once released can be found on the USCIS website. Employers can also order paper copies if they don’t want to use the electronic version. The
What do I need to know about religious accommodations?
Kara, JD, SPHR: Employers with 15 or more employees are required by federal law to provide reasonable accommodations for an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, and observances, unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the employer. The need for a religious accommodation generally arises when an employee’s religious beliefs or practices conflict with a specific task or
HR Teams will feel the weight of SCOTUS religious accommodations ruling
By Deanna Cuadra| July 11, 2023 The Supreme Court has made a slew of decisions in the last month, but only one has been unanimous: the issue of religious accommodations. And employers are directly impacted. In the case Groff v. Dejoy, Gerald Groff sued his employer, the U.S. Postal Service, because they failed to meet his religious accommodation request — as