Category: Current Affairs

Ask Fran: COVID-19

covid19

Q: We have facilities in 3 different states.  I am getting confused with the Governors in each state issuing different types of orders – Stay At Home – Shelter in Place, etc.  Is there one source where I can go to find all of these?   A:  Unfortunately as you described, orders are being issued

Ask Fran: COVID-19

covid19

Q: If we lay off employees do we have to pay them their accrued, vacation/paid time off? A: Yes, in most states accrued time off is due at the time of layoff or termination. Remember to check your state wage & hour laws for how long you have to deliver that final wage payment. Q:

Ask Fran: COVID-19

covid19

Can we reduce the wages and hours of our exempt salaried employees? Yes, but be careful.  On a federal level you do not want to reduce the wages below the exempt salary requirement.  Some states require that you provide an employee with a written document outlining the change of rate and hours. You would want

Ask Fran: COVID-19

COVID-19

We are under 50 employees and have never had to comply with FMLA.  Will we be exempt from FMLA under the new federal law? No.  You will have to comply with the expanded FMLA benefits listed in the new Federal  Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Start reading the new law as you will need

Ask Fran: COVID-19

COVID-19

Leddy Group HR – Ask Fran – Get answers to your pressing Coronavirus/COVID-19 questions: Q: Will our unemployment account be charged for all the layoffs we had to make? A: The first federal legislation the President signed allowed states to waive unemployment waiting periods and not charge employers for unemployment benefits but have the state trust

COVID-19: Guidance for Employers

covid19

With so much talk about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we wanted to send out an alert with some additional information. There is a lot of information about COVID-19 out there. Attorney Charla Stevens provides practical guidance for employers related to COVID-19 in this article:  https://www.nhbr.com/are-you-prepared-for-the-coronavirus/ This short TED Talk provides additional information about what we do

Work Place Violence Prevention

Work Place Violence

Our team thought this was some great information to reshare from the University of Southern Maine. Workplace Violence can be a difficult topic and here are some great resources. The University of Southern Maine has developed three modules for employers, employees, as well as an instructor-led module in a no-cost online program for retail workers

Insights from the US Department of Labor

US department of labor

The US Department of Labor has issued several new opinion letters that provide helpful guidance to employers. The two letters below address questions that we frequently get from clients. We hope they are helpful! Permissible rounding practices: Read opinion letter here Calculating overtime pay for non-discretionary bonuses paid on a quarterly and annual basis: Read

Non Compete Agreements – Legislation Restrictions

non compete agreement

Legislation restriction the use of non compete agreements is being enacted in many states – if you utilize non competes as part of your employment practices you should review your state regulations and/or consult with legal counsel to ensure your practices are in compliance. NH http://gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/billText.aspx?sy=2019&id=466&txtFormat=html ME http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0538&item=7&snum=129 RI https://www.billtrack50.com/BillDetail/1118785   More info here: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=d07b4b2a-9fc4-44c7-b58a-f50ef0403d9a

Department of Labor (DOL) releases an opinion letter

DOL

The US Department of Labor (DOL) has issued an opinion letter regarding whether employees may take Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) to attend a Committee on Special Education meeting to discuss the Individualized Education Program (IEP) of the employee’s son or daughter. You can read the opinion letter here: https://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/FMLA/2019/2019_08_08_2A_FMLA.pdf About Leddy Group HR Consulting: