• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Frederick Thurman

Understand North Carolina’s workers’ comp notice requirements

03/01/2010

To be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act requires employees to notify their employers if they are injured at work. North Carolina courts have spelled out why this requirement is important:

Who gets paid first: employees or creditors?

01/22/2010

Q. My small construction business is closing its doors, and we have limited funds with which to pay employees and numerous creditors. What should we do? Who should we pay first?

How should we prohibit texting while driving?

01/22/2010

Q. I saw in the paper last week that texting while driving is no longer allowed in North Carolina. Should my company have a policy regarding this?

Is it legal in North Carolina to withhold bonuses not paid at the time of termination?

01/22/2010

Q. May we include a provision in our bonus plan for North Carolina employees that they will forfeit any bonus that has not been paid at the time of termination?

Will our name on consultant’s business cards affect his independent contractor status?

01/22/2010

Q. One of our former employees, Joe Smith, has started an engineering consulting business. We have contracted with Joe to provide services similar to those he provided when employed. Would providing him with business cards bearing our name and logo jeopardize his independent contractor status?

Taming the paper tiger: What to keep—and for how long

12/03/2009

Some HR departments are notorious for keeping every stack of paper indefinitely, while others fail to keep enough. Neither approach is acceptable, and it’s up to you to maintain a happy medium that complies with the law. Proper record-keeping is one of an HR professional’s core duties. Knowing what legally must be kept and for how long are important aspects of that duty.

10 minutes well-spent: Audit your employee bulletin board

10/23/2009

When was the last time you reviewed your company’s bulletin boards in the break room or alongside the time clock? Do they show the correct, updated federal- and state-law posters? A little time spent seeing what’s there—and what’s missing—will keep you in compliance with state and federal laws.

10 minutes well-spent: Audit your employee bulletin board

09/29/2009

Have you audited the employee bulletin board in your break room or next to your time clock recently? Have you ever done so? A little time spent seeing what’s there—and what’s missing—will keep you in compliance with North Carolina and federal laws.

Is it possible to reduce everyone’s hours without running afoul of the law?

08/28/2009

Q. In an effort to avoid laying off employees in this tough economy, our company has decided to temporarily reduce everyone’s work hours to 35 hours per week. May we?

What should we do? We may need to terminate one of our founding partners

08/28/2009

Q. My company, a North Carolina corporation, has only four employees, all of whom are equal shareholders. We don’t have employment contracts. May three of us decide to terminate the employment of the other, a 25% shareholder?