Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Occasionally we have an employee we would like to discipline (or fire outright), but the employee has recently done something that leaves us open to a retaliation charge if we take action against them-like making a discrimination complaint, requesting FMLA leave, or talking to OSHA about safety issues. Right now, we have a manager who […]
One of our employees has been prescribed a powerful medication. Can we ask her to take a fitness-for-duty evaluation to determine if the drug decreases her ability to perform the job’s duties? Also, her situation is making me worried that other employees might be in the same boat. Can we require employees to divulge prescription […]
Did they change the mileage reimbursement amount again?
The Internal Revenue Service has just issued temporary and proposed regulations designed to reduce the tax filing burden for small business owners. As of Jan. 1, 2006, eligible small employers will be able to file the new Form 944 (Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return) once a year, rather than filing Form 941 (Employer’s Quarterly Federal […]
The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2006 standard mileage rate commonly used to reimburse employees for the business use of a vehicle. The new rate will be 44.5 cents per mile, beginning Jan. 1, 2006.
I need some help with the administrative exemption as it relates to IT workers. We are a software consulting firm. Each consultant works pretty independently, managing and doing work on their own projects directly with clients. Their work is a mix of upper-level tasks (systems analysis, training, project management) and lower-level tasks (installing upgrades and […]
The Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the Advertising Council, has launched a campaign to educate small and mid-sized employers about engaging in emergency preparedness efforts to protect their employees, business operations, and assets. The program includes a website, http://www.ready.gov, with extensive information on emergency planning, including a sample emergency plan, emergency supplies checklist, […]
We have two main types of nonemployee workers: temps (who usually work just a few days or weeks) and leased employees (who work basically full time). In both cases, we pay a fee to the agency and the leasing company, and they handle all the employment matters, including hiring, payment, and benefits. My question is […]
Many of our employees drive their privately owned vehicles on company business. We’re concerned about their insurance. Can we make them provide us with a “Certificate of Liability Insurance” listing us as the certificate holder, so we’ll know for sure that their insurance is in effect? Also we’d like to require that they carry higher […]
I work in a psychiatric hospital. We have been having a problem lately with patients sexually harassing our staff. Some of the clients are mentally retarded or mentally ill, and we’re not sure what to do about the harassment problem.— Susan