HR Pieces: February 2025 News | |
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Dear Lynette,
As always, thank you for subscribing to our monthly email, we are beyond grateful to serve our clients, candidates, and colleagues and want you to know that we appreciate working with you!
We understand that every business is unique, and we're committed to providing personalized solutions that align with your goals. Our team is ready to support you every step of the way; please, keep us in mind as you assess your HR needs this year!
Sincerely,
The HRA Team-
Lynette, Camille, Karla, Dana, Liz, Seth, Sarah, Anita, Sharon, Erinn, Dana, and Diane
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Lynette Weatherford MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President
Email Lynette
877.894.0202 ext 4
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Camille Knowles PHR,
SHRM-CP, HR Advisor
Email Camille
877.894.0202 ext 3
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Karla Callaway BS
HR Advisor
Email Karla
877.894.0202 ext 2
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Dana Baldwin BS, SPHR,
SHRM-SCP, HR Advisor
Email Dana
877.894.0202 ext 1
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Elizabeth Hurst MBA
Business Development Director
Email Elizabeth
877.894.0202 ext 5
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Seth Bunn BS
Recruitment Advisor
Email Seth
877.894.0202 ext 6
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Sarah Matthews BA
Business Development Manager
Email Sarah
(877) 894-0202 ext 8
t.
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Anita King MA, SHRM-CRP
Learning & Development Advisor
Email Anita
877.894.0202 Ext 7
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Sharon McElwrath BA
Administrative Support
Email Sharon
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Erinn Johnson
HR Advisor Assistant
Email Erinn
t.
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Dana Snyder, MS, BS, SHRM-CP
HR Advisor Assistant
Email Dana
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Diane Stites, MA, MBA, BS
HR Advisor Assistant
Email Diane
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HR Hotline | Email | 877-894-0202 ext. 8 | |
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February HR News
- Workplace Romance
- Does Wearable Technology Violate Discrimination Laws?
- OSHA Postings
- Compliance Calendar
- New Team Member Announcement
- Career Opportunities
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Workplace Romance
Did you know that a full-time employee spends 2,080 hours a year at work, based on a 40 hour work week? With so much time spent with co-workers and supervisors, its likely that friendships will arise as well as workplace romance. According to a survey done by SHRM in 2023, 27 percent of U.S. workers are currently in a workplace romance or have been in one before.
Though workplace romances are quite common, 40 percent of workers believe that workplace romances are unprofessional, and 52 percent believe that it could negatively impact their career if they were to become involved in one. With the rise of remote work, surprisingly, 27 percent of respondents in the survey said that their employer had not defined its misconduct policies for hybrid/remote work settings. This is why it is important for employees to follow workplace romance policies and for the employer to be clear on good boundaries and transparency.
Romantic relationships, particularly those between leadership/managers and their subordinates, raise concerns about potential power imbalances and conflicts of interest in the workplace. An anti-fraternization policy sends a message against sexual harassment, mitigates legal risk, avoids subsequent toxic work environments, and provides a notice of consequences for employees' actions. However, it may not be in your best interest to forbid any and all types of workplace romance, as research shows romantic relationships are quite common in the workplace and employees may resort to hiding their relationships. A workable policy approach could include:
- Outlining the company's concerns with respect to workplace relationships.
- Requiring employees to report close personal relationships through designated channels.
- Prohibiting romantic relationships between supervisors and their direct (or proximate) subordinates, as well as between sensitive business functions that deal with quality or financial controls.
Source & Image Source:SHRM
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Does Wearable Technology Violate Discrimination Laws?
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released new guidance concerning wearable devices - if employers direct employees to do so in the workplace, it may be violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as other federal antidiscrimination laws.
Wearable technologies are made to track body movements, collect biometric information and/or track location, and can include smart watches or rings, environmental or proximity sensors, smart glasses and helmets, exoskeletons, and GPS devices.
If these devices are used to collect information about an employee’s physical or mental condition, this may qualify as a medical examination or disability-related inquiry which is strictly limited by the ADA and only permissible when they are job-related and consistent with business necessity, or in certain other limited circumstances.
Medical or disability-related information, including information stored by wearables, must be kept in files that are separate from personnel files and treated as confidential medical information, so this is another concern to be aware of. Before proceeding with this requirement, employers should first make considerations such as what data is collected, how the data is stored, and whether the information is used for employment decision making.
Source: EEOC
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OSHA Postings
Employers covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) record-keeping rule must post a summary (Form 300A) of 2024 work-related injury and illnesses in a noticeable place from Feb. 1 to April 30, and are to make available to workers, if they ask to see them at other times.
It is not necesary for employers who have 10 or fewer employees during the last calendar year to keep OSHA injury and illness records unless OSHA or the Bureau of Labor Statistics send a written statement that you must keep records under § 1904.41 or § 1904.42.
Source: OSHA.GOV
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Compliance Calendar
February 3rd - (Health & Safety) OSHA Postings as stated above.
February 10th - (Taxes) Deadline for filing Form 940, if FUTA taxes were paid on time.
February 18th - (Taxes) Deadline for employees to submit Form W-4 claiming exempt status to continue to be exempt from withholding for the year (due on next business day following Feb. 15th).
- (Taxes) Deadline for filing Form 1099-MISC with only boxes 8 & 10 sent to recipient.
February 28th - (Taxes) Deadline for filing IRS Form 1099-MISC if done on paper.
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Human Resource Advantage is happy to announce that Diane Stites has joined the team as an HR Advisor Assistant. Diane holds a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management, and has over 25 years of experience with expertise in Benefits Administration, Employee Relations, and more.
Diane is a member of the Springfield Area Human Resources Association and serves on the Board of Directors for Generations Village, a local not-for-profit organization serving the needs of foster families and the elderly. She completed the Give5 program through United Way and has done volunteer work for community organizations such as Eden Village, Cox Hospitals, Harmony House, Child Advocacy Center, and United Way of the Ozarks.
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