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Employee Newsletter – Planning

Question: My CEO wants HR to start producing an employee newsletter. How do I start? Answer: This is a huge undertaking – but one that is surmountable with the proper planning. To get started you need to outline your plan by determining the following: Objective: Why are you doing this? What is the newsletter’s objective – […]

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Are Holiday Gifts, Prizes or Parties Taxable Wages?

Question: Are holiday gifts, prizes or parties taxable wages? Answer: With the holiday season approaching, organizations may find that individuals or groups who benefit from the organization’s services, desire to make year-end gifts to the organization’s employees for their loyal service. Employee gifts in the form of cash or gift certificates/coupons, regardless of the amount, are […]

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Attendance Point System Policy

Question: We have an attendance point system policy for our nonexempt employees that gives points for each occurrence of absence.  It feels like people have learned to “play” the system, either by missing multiple days in a row (which count as one occurrence) or always missing Mondays or Fridays.  Do you have a suggestion on […]

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Inappropriate Employee Behavior Outside of Work: What Can I Do?

Question: Employees have come to me upset because a group of employees got “a little crazy” at a recent industry conference.  The employees complaining shared that they felt like it made the company look bad since they had name tags on that included the company name.  What can I do about this?  Can I talk […]

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Establishing a Uniform Policy

Question: What are the pros and cons I should consider before establishing a uniform policy? Answer: Today, millions of employees wear corporate uniforms in the workplace.  Whether it is to clearly exhibit a company logo, make it easier for customers to identify employees, or to develop a sense of unity among the staff, they have […]

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Excessive Absenteeism

I have an employee with excessive absenteeism and tardiness due to her pregnancy. She has been with the company less than eight months. Per her physician’s request she has been asked to stop working and has asked us for a leave of absence for six to eight months. The company can not afford to hold this position for such a long time. What are our legal obligations?

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Just Cause Termination

Question: Can you terminate a stock room employee for failing to find a piece of needed equipment that he could not locate in the drawer when we had six on hand? He said we didn’t have the part when in fact we did. Answer: In an at-will State, an employer can terminate an employee for a […]

NEWSLETTER DISCLAIMER

The recommendations and opinions provided by Strategic HR and its staff are advisory only and are based on general human resource management fundamentals, practices and principles, and are not legal opinions or guaranteed outcomes. This information is provided with the understanding that the user assumes the risk of verifying information used from this site when interpreting it for their own use. We strongly recommend, as part of a team approach to management, that companies consult with their legal counsel to address specific legal concerns related to human resource issues.