August 2020 Stay Current Newsletter

HRDR Blog: Wellness Reminders During COVID-19 Navigating Employee Travel During a Global Pandemic Reminder: Harassment Prevention Training Deadline is 12/31 Implementing a Remote Work Policy Healthy Student Guidance Released by Kaiser HR Action Item: New FMLA Forms Holiday Office Closure

HRDR Blog: Wellness Reminders During COVID-19

It has been five months since California declared a shelter in place order for all non-essential employees. The past five months have been full of constant change and adjusting to the “new normal”. How can we keep ourselves and our employees mentally and physically well during this time? Missed our post? Read it here.

Navigating Employee Travel During a Global Pandemic

As California continues to lift restrictions, more and more people are thinking about summer vacations. As employers, it is important to know what you can and cannot ask your employees about their planned trips. While you cannot restrict where your employees travel on their personal time, you may ask them certain questions and take appropriate action.  While employees still have a right to privacy, employers may ask certain questions of their vacation. Permitted inquiries include asking if they are traveling to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) hotspot and their method of travel. Make sure you are not discouraging your employee from traveling as this could encourage employees to not disclose their travel plans and open your workplace to risk of exposure.  Employees should give as much advanced notice as possible when planning trips so necessary steps can be taken. If the employee is required to self-quarantine after traveling, they would most likely not qualify for Emergency Paid Sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) unless instructed to quarantine by a doctor. While employees working remote would not be covered by this travel policy, it would apply to employees who work remote but still visit the office occasionally.  Once a travel policy is implemented, it is important that it is enforced consistently throughout the company. All employees should be held to the same requirements to avoid potential unfair employment claims. Reach out to your consultant for assistance with creating a COVID vacation policy.

Reminder: Harassment Prevention Training Deadline is 12/31

COVID-19 has been dominating much of the spotlight lately. However, it is important to remember that employers with five or more employees must complete harassment prevention training for all employees by December 31, 2020. Ask a member of your consulting team for session requirements and methods to complete the training virtually.

Implementing a Remote Work Policy

Remember back to mid-March when we were informed of the new shelter-in-place restrictions? Many employers found themselves coordinating technology, phone systems, and other infrastructure in brand new ways. A remote work policy may not have been at the top of your list. As this pandemic shows no signs of going away anytime soon, now is a great time to implement a policy.  Regardless of the remote arrangement being long term or short term, there are items that should be covered in all remote work policies. Set clear, defined expectations for communication and response times. Work Location While your employees may be allowed to work away from the office, employers are able to set designated work locations such as restricting the work location to the employee’s home address. This is important for employees who must visit the office periodically on short notice or to ensure employees are always using safe, secure internet.  Non-Exempt Employees Non-exempt employees are still held to the same wage and hour requirements as if they were in the office. Meal and rest breaks need to be taken at the proper time and all overtime should be recorded. There are many items to consider when non-exempt employees are working from home, including meal and rest breaks and proper payment of overtime.  Expense Reimbursement Per the California Labor Code, all employees are entitled to be reimbursed “for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee…” This is true especially when working away from the office. Employees may be entitled to reimbursement for Wi-Fi, electricity, cell phone usage, or other necessities. To avoid the administrative burden of tracking these items and usage individually, a best practice is to assign a flat monthly amount that you believe reasonably covers an employee’s expenses.  In Summary Having a remote work policy in place is important. A policy can help your employees understand what is expected of them and communication requirements. Your consulting team is available to assist you with a tailored policy for your organization.

Healthy Student Guidance Released by Kaiser

Kaiser has released a playbook to offer useful tools to help maintain the health of students during this time. While schools are still relying on local health officials to determine to reopening requirements, this playbook can offer guidance whether you are returning virtually, in-person, or a hybrid. The full playbook can be found here.

HR Action Items: Updated FMLA Forms

The Department of Labor has released updated Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) forms. While the updated DOL forms can be found here, it is important to remember that federal forms are not always California compliant. Reach out to a member of the HRDR team for guidance on the proper forms.

Holiday Office Closure

Our offices will be closed Monday, September 7, 2020 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. We will respond to all emails and voicemails when normal business hours resume September 8.

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