Question: How do we ensure pay equality and fair wages? Answer: Here are the three most important steps you can take to make sure you're paying your staff a fair, living wage: 1. Audit your organization’s current pay rates. Check that rates meet minimum wage and salaries ...
Question: Can we reduce or eliminate benefits when an employee's hours drop below 40 a week? Answer: The short answer is: it's complicated. This touches on both legal compliance and strategic benefits management, especially in organizations with 50 or more full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. Here's what...
Church staff often wear many hats and juggle countless responsibilities. Create job descriptions to help keep church employees focused on the most important tasks that support ministry goals and objectives. Working for a church is very different than working for a business in that much of what gets...
How a Simple Signature Helps Reinforce Compliance, Clarity, and Legal Protection Labor law poster compliance is a key part of risk management and HR best practices for churches and ministries. Having employees sign an acknowledgment that they are aware of the required workplace posters and...
Question: With artificial intelligence (AI) tools becoming so common, do we need a specific policy for how staff should use them? Answer: Absolutely! AI tools are rapidly integrating into many aspects of work, even within ministries. While they can certainly boost efficiency, they also introduce new...
Ministry is more than a job; it's a profound calling, attracting individuals driven by passion, faith, and a deep desire to serve. Yet, ministries often face a unique challenge: competing for top talent with secular organizations that may offer significantly higher salaries. In this landscape,...
Question: How can we ensure ministry staff know what to do in an emergency? Answer: Recent events have brought to the front of everyone's mind just how vital comprehensive emergency planning truly is for every ministry. Ministry, and life in general, is unpredictable. Whether you're talking...
Question: What are the rules for U.S. citizens working for our organization but living abroad? Answer: Employing staff who live abroad or who work in another country for your church or organization comes with a very unique set of laws and regulations. This can include ensuring that...
Question: Can we require a pastor to retire at a certain age? Answer: When it comes to non-pastors, there are many rules about age discrimination. For pastors, the rules are different. Based on legal precedent, the church has been exempt from EEOC discrimination claims when it comes...
Question: "A longtime employee forged a timesheet. We've terminated others for this. Do we have to do the same?" Answer: Yes, otherwise you leave yourself open to significant risk. This is a tricky situation many ministries face: balancing the need for consistent policies with the desire...