Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

Leave Banks: Can We Deduct Partial-Day Absences from Exempt Employees’ Leave Banks?

We seem to have come across a conflict related to exempt employee leave banks. We want to deduct from our exempt employees’ leave banks for partial-day absences. We understand that the California Labor Commissioner has indicated that accrued leave time may not be used to replace salary for partial-day absences. However, I see that a […]

Background Checks: Can we Refuse to Hire Someone with a DUI?

When we are hiring, we run a DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) check on the applicants. If it shows a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) conviction five years or more in the past, we usually go ahead and hire the person. But if the DUI is within five years, we don’t hire the person. I’m […]

Family Leave: We’re a Small Company—Are We Covered by FMLA?

We are a small California business with 14 employees. We are not supposed to be subject to FMLA, but our lawyer says we are. This is because we have FMLA eligibility information included in our handbook. But the eligibility clause clearly states that “employees who work at a location where the Company employs fewer than […]

Dress Codes: Can We Implement a Haircut Policy for Men?

Some of our male employees—our salesmen—have been coming in looking very shaggy, and we’ve even gotten a few customer complaints. We’d like to implement a policy that men have to keep their hair at collar length or shorter. Any problems with this?— Frustrated HR Manager in Fresno