You can reduce an employee's rate of pay based on business or economic slowdown, provided that this is not done retroactively. For instance, if you give employees notice that their pay will change on the 10th, and your payroll period runs from the 1st through...
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. People have experienced financial hardship, additional challenges with childcare and school cancellations, job loss, reduced hours, sickness, and grief. The future is uncertain, and the present is extra stressful. And to make matters worse,...
In early May, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published extensive guidance for employers and employees on how various laws and regulations apply to the pandemic. Below are some highlights, but it's a good idea to review the entire page. Can an ADA-covered employer take the body...
If you intend to claim a tax credit under the FFCRA for your payment of the sick leave or expanded family and medical leave wages, you should retain appropriate documentation in your records. A written request for leave from the employee should include the following (and...
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a temporary policy to allow employers to accept expired List B documents when completing the Form I-9 beginning May 1. This policy is intended to account for the fact that many people are unable to renew their...
Yes. If you are recalling some positions, but not others, you should document the business reasons why only those positions were recalled. If you are recalling some employees in a certain position, but not everyone in that position, you should document the objective, job-related criteria you...
Although some employers will be comfortable sending everyone home with their laptop and saying, go forth and be productive, most will want to be a little more specific. A good telecommuting policy will generally address productivity standards, hours of work, how and when employees should...
During this pandemic, coping with the disruption in your normal routine may be stressful. Isolation may leave you feeling like you have no control. You may feel cut off from the rest of the world and experience cabin fever, leading to irritability or emotional exhaustion. There...
The last thing employees and employers want is lost jobs. It means financial uncertainty for everyone involved, which is why most employers do everything they can to prevent downsizing or prolonged closures. However, reality sometimes forces the situation, as is the case with the coronavirus disease...
We are an essential business where there's a shelter-in-place rule and an employee is refusing to work as they say it's not safe. Can I discipline them? This is certainly a difficult situation to be in. Extreme caution is recommended in disciplining or terminating an employee...