The Iowa’s statute regulating drug and alcohol testing for private sector employers has changed. For employers who conduct alcohol and/or drug testing… this impacts you! Please read on.
Human Resources
Do your personnel file folders hold the correct documents? Keeping Personnel Files Confidential
Personnel files should be treated as private company records belonging to you and your individual employees. You don’t want to allow just anyone in the company to rummage through the performance evaluations, salaries, and job applications of coworkers. Keep employee files in a locked cabinet. Make them available only to those people in your company who have a legitimate business need to access the files.
Now that spring has sprung are you considering hiring an Intern for the summer? Should your Intern be paid?
Some employers think it’s not necessary, reasoning that Interns are still in school, live with their parents, receive valuable experience and may even drive their own new cars to work. These employers believe using unpaid Interns is a smart financial move that allows their companies to save money on wages. However, this line of thinking has become risky based on recent court decisions and the filing of new lawsuits.
Are breaks legally necessary?
If you don’t know the rules of the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) then it’s time to refresh yourself with the law. In the state of Iowa, breaks are not legally required, employers must pay employees for time they spend working and for shorter breaks (less than 20 minutes) during the day. An employer that chooses to provide a longer meal break, during which the employee is relieved of all job duties, does not have to pay the employee for that time.
Are you protecting yourself when giving an employee a cell phone?
Stop and think about all the things we can do with our smartphones. How did we ever live without them? Isn’t it crazy to think how much our phones have become a part of our lives? In many ways cell phones are great, but for employers, they can cause more grief than what they are worth. (more…)
Can we ban visible tattoos and piercings in the workplace?
Tattoos and body piercings are forms of pure expression. For some individuals, these can hold personal meaning and/or emotion. It can be a way to express one’s religious faith, cover a scar, remember a deceased loved one, or symbolize a cultural rite of passage. Since these forms of art are fully protected under the Constitution First Amendment, can you legally make your employees cover them up?
Workplace Violence….Are you prepared?
Employees who are unhapp
y in their job or are angry with their manager oftentimes resort to violence. Do you know how to recognize warning signs of violent behavior? Would you be prepared if something did happen? These conversations should exist in your workplace and managers should be trained so they can recognize signs of danger and/or violence. Listed below are some things you can do to create awareness in your workplace. (more…)
Would you be prepared if the DOL came knocking on your employment door?
The best way to avoid a potential employee lawsuit is to conduct an internal HR audit. Internal audits don’t have to create fear rather they should provide a comprehensive review of your current policies, procedures and strategies. They can be done by yourself or directed by your HR Professional.
Communicating Summer Dress Code Expectations and PTO Guidelines
With the changing of seasons comes changes in the workplace along with changes in summer dress code. This is the time of year when employees typically stretch the dress code policies to try new styles and wardrobe trends. Consistent and uniform enforcement not only reduces potential liability exposure, but also prevents the slow deterioration of your dress code policy in the workplace.
Now that spring has sprung are you considering hiring an Intern for the summer? Should your Intern be paid?
Some employers think it’s not necessary, reasoning that Interns are still in school, live with their parents, receive valuable experience and may even drive their own new cars to work. These employers believe using unpaid Interns is a smart financial move that allows their companies to save money on wages. However, this line of thinking has become risky based on recent court decisions and the filing of new lawsuits.