Age discrimination (sometimes called ageism) means treating people less favorably because of their age. In the workplace, this commonly happens when an employer favors a younger worker over an older one. In some cases, age discrimination is unlawful. If your organization has 20 or more employees...
An employee in a job that regularly requires lifting 50 pounds now says they can only regularly lift 25 because of an off-the-job injury. Can we terminate? Possibly, but proceed with caution. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers that have 15 or more employees...
Yes. There are many reasons you might want or need to track exempt employee time. For example, you may opt to track an exempt employee’s hours for purposes of client billing, grant tracking, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), retirement or pension plans, or hours-based...
One of our employees informed us that she’s menopausal and experiencing symptoms in the workplace. What can we do to support her and others in her situation? Menopause (the time that marks the end of the menstrual cycle) and perimenopause (the time just before) can come...
When an employer receives a harassment claim, they have a legal obligation to examine the claim by conducting a thorough investigation. This includes the following steps: Select an interviewer. Typically, this person would be an impartial manager, company officer, or HR representative. They should approach...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has withdrawn its vaccine-or-test Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for employers with 100 or more employees. This is the official end of the ETS—employers do not need to comply with it. OSHA is still proceeding with a permanent COVID standard...
While COVID will continue to affect our workplaces for some time, we generally recommend not adding COVID policies directly to your handbook. Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to evolve, and federal and state laws related to the pandemic will...
No, it’s fine to classify managers as nonexempt. You are under no obligation to classify any employees as exempt, even if they meet the criteria under the Fair Labor Standards Act. You could have an entire workforce of nonexempt employees, right up to the CEO. The important...
In general, if an exempt employee performs any work during the workweek, you must pay them their full salary amount. Deductions are allowed, however, for legally required withholding and benefit elections. There are a handful of other situations in which a deduction from an exempt employee's salary would...
If a holiday like New Year’s Eve falls on a weekend when we’re closed, and we typically give employees that holiday off, do we have to offer employees an alternative day off? No, the way you designate holiday closures is largely up to you. No federal...