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Open Enrollment: What Employees Need From You
Benefits may be one of your largest expenses outside of payroll. Open enrollment is one of the few times employees actively engage with that investment. Most employees aren't focused on renewal costs, carrier negotiations, or plan design. They want answers to a few simple questions: What's changing? Will it cost more? Do I need to do anything? When is the deadline? Who can help if I have questions? Make the Message Easy to Understand Many benefits communications are filled wi
8 hours ago2 min read
Can I Drug Test an Employee in California?
An employee appears impaired at work. There has been a workplace accident. A manager wants to start random drug testing. Can you require a drug test? In California, the answer depends on the circumstances. Employers may have legitimate workplace safety concerns, but employees also have privacy protections. Before requiring a current employee to test, you need a valid reason and a process for handling the situation. Reasonable Suspicion Testing Reasonable suspicion is one of t
Sep 232 min read
Open Enrollment: What Employees Need From You
Benefits may be one of your largest expenses outside of payroll. Open enrollment is one of the few times employees actively engage with that investment. Most employees aren't focused on renewal costs, carrier negotiations, or plan design. They want answers to a few simple questions: What's changing? Will it cost more? Do I need to do anything? When is the deadline? Who can help if I have questions? Make the Message Easy to Understand Many benefits communications are filled wi
8 hours ago2 min read
Can I Drug Test an Employee in California?
An employee appears impaired at work. There has been a workplace accident. A manager wants to start random drug testing. Can you require a drug test? In California, the answer depends on the circumstances. Employers may have legitimate workplace safety concerns, but employees also have privacy protections. Before requiring a current employee to test, you need a valid reason and a process for handling the situation. Reasonable Suspicion Testing Reasonable suspicion is one of t
Sep 232 min read
What Makes Employees Feel Supported During Change
Change is part of running a business. You may be growing, restructuring, introducing new technology, changing leadership, or adjusting how work gets done. Whatever the reason, employees are often focused on one question: What does this mean for me? You may not have every answer right away, but you can still help employees navigate change with the right communication and support. Communicate What You Know When employees do not have information, they tend to fill in the gaps th
Sep 162 min read
Are Your Managers Accidentally Creating Wage and Hour Risk?
Your payroll practices may be compliant on paper, but managers make day-to-day decisions about schedules, breaks, overtime, timekeeping, and after-hours communication. Those everyday decisions can create wage and hour risk for the business. Small Habits Can Create Bigger Problems Wage and hour issues do not always start with a problematic policy. Sometimes they develop through everyday management practices. A manager may ask an employee to finish something after clocking out,
Sep 92 min read
Why Your Business Needs an HR Strategy
HR can easily become focused on whatever needs attention today. Employee questions, paperwork, hiring needs, and workplace issues all require time and attention. An HR strategy looks beyond those immediate needs to consider how your people practices can reduce risk, support employees, and help the business prepare for what comes next. Reactive HR often starts with a question: An employee complained. What do we do? A manager wants to terminate someone. What documentation do we
Sep 22 min read
How to Rebuild Trust After a Difficult Workplace Issue
Resolving a difficult employee issue is only part of the process. What happens afterward can have just as much impact on the workplace. Employees may need time to rebuild working relationships, while managers need to make sure the team can move forward professionally. The goal is not to pretend nothing happened. It is to create a path forward that allows everyone to get back to work effectively. Set Expectations for What Happens Next Once the immediate issue has been addresse
Aug 262 min read
Preparing for an Involuntary Termination in California
Last week, we discussed California's final pay requirements and the deadlines employers must meet when an employee leaves the company. Knowing the law is the first step. Preparing for an involuntary termination is the next. By the time you begin a termination meeting, the preparation should already be complete. One missed step can create compliance issues that extend well beyond the conversation itself. Confirm the Decision Is Ready to Move Forward Before moving forward, cons
Aug 192 min read
When Is Final Pay Due in California?
When an employee leaves your company, it's easy to focus on the logistics of the separation. Collecting company property, disabling system access, and communicating the transition often move to the top of the list. One item cannot wait. California has some of the strictest final pay requirements in the country. Missing a final pay deadline can result in significant penalties, even if the mistake was unintentional. Understanding when final pay is due is an important part of st
Aug 122 min read
Back-to-School Season: What Employers Should Consider
When the school year begins, it's not just family calendars that change. For working parents, the transition back to school can be demanding. Employers often see an increase in attendance questions, schedule adjustments, and last-minute requests as employees navigate new routines at home. Supporting employees during this season does not mean rewriting your policies or creating exceptions that are difficult to sustain. Often, it comes down to communication, consistency, and a
Aug 52 min read
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