Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Employers have an obligation to ensure employees are not using alcohol and drugs in the workplace because it could affect the safety of the whole team. There is latitude to discipline employees if alcohol or drugs are being used, but employers need to proceed with caution to handle the situation appropriately if substance abuse is suspected.
Are deductions from pay ever allowed for exempt employees? Naturally an employer can make deductions for taxes or employee contributions to retirement or insurance premiums, but what about deductions for days of work missed? What about deductions for time an employee is out due to disciplinary action?
California has some specific regulations that relate to the employment relationship—and these should be clarified in employee handbooks or in written notices. There are also some laws that affect the employment relationship, and employers need to keep them in mind, even if they’re not required in employee handbooks. Here are some examples, which will each be explored in further detail below
California background checks should be conducted with extreme care because California has a unique set of rules.
Social media monitoring is becoming increasingly common by employers as social media use by employees grows. However, employers should be careful not to be so restrictive that they tread on an employee’s right to concerted activity as protected by the NLRA. Employers should carefully craft social media policies such that they don't diminish this right.
How should a small employer in California get started in creating an employee handbook? Are floating holidays subject to use-it-or-lose it policies in California like sick days? Or must they be treated like vacation days and paid upon termination?
For employers looking to utilize pay surveys to get market benchmarks, where should they look? Who is the best source for pay surveys? What about employers who already have benchmarks but want instead to implement raises on a limited budget—how should they determine how much of a raise to give for everyone versus how much to only top performers?
When dealing with California final pay laws, the details are where it gets tricky. For example, if an employee resigns with two weeks’ notice, normally you would have until the employee’s last day to provide the final paycheck—but what if you want to ask the employee to not work the notice period? When is the […]
Social media use is prevalent for potential employees, so why shouldn’t it be prevalent for background checks? Most employers think it should—the use of social media in background checks has grown steadily in recent years. But what are the risks?
Employee discipline in California – even including termination – is possible, but employers will be well-served to cross their t’s and dot their i’s in the process. Having documentation of all aspects of the disciplinary process is vital.