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

Q&A

The requirements of California’s WARN Act

12/24/2014
What are the penalties for violating California WARN Act’s notice requirements? And are there any valid exceptions to them?

OK to monitor email without consent?

12/23/2014
Q. We suspect someone is conducting inappropriate business using their work email. Is it illegal for us to monitor their email without their consent?

Why bother with job descriptions?

12/23/2014
Q. Are employers required to have job descriptions for every position within the organization?

Can we ask our employees to keep mum about their bonuses?

12/19/2014
Q. Our company is handing out bonuses only to those who deserve it. Can we ask them—not demand them—to keep it quiet as we hand them their checks?

Is California WARN different than the federal law?

12/08/2014
Q. As a California employer, am I required to follow the same 90-day aggregation rule that the federal WARN Act follows?

How should we pay nonexempt telecommuter?

12/08/2014
Q. I recently allowed one of my hourly employees to telecommute full time. What actions must I take to ensure proper payment of her wages?

How does California’s plant closing law work?

12/08/2014
Q. Our company is going to have lay off a large number of employees. Are we required to give notice to the employees?

Can we make worker pay for broken merchandise?

12/08/2014
Q. One of our employees dropped a case of expensive merchandise while stocking the shelves of our store. It caused a loss of several hundred dollars. Can we deduct the cost of the merchandise from his paycheck?

Employee is returning from Nigeria: Can we request she stay out of the office for 21 days?

12/04/2014
Q. We have an employee traveling to Nigeria for a family gathering. Even though Nigeria is Ebola-free at this time, we are considering requesting that she stay out of the office for 21 days upon return to eliminate panic among employees. Due to the nature of her job, she cannot work from home. Do we legally need to pay her for this time?

Benefits: Should we put details in the employee handbook or the Summary Plan Description?

11/27/2014
Q. Should a small business employee handbook include a safe-harbor clause under the benefits section for their 401k plan? In the past, the benefits information in the handbook has been limited because it can change so often. Instead, the handbook just points the employee to the summary plan documents.