Human Resources

​Q: I just received a call asking for a verification of employment for one of my employees. I thought everything was good based on recent conversations, but now I’m not sure what is going on. Can I ask them if they are job hunting?A: Legally, yes, you can ask since you learned about the job search through a legitimate source. However, you should not if you learn of it through an unreliable method such as the rumor mill, by searching an employee’s social media page, or by finding the employee’s resume on a job site.The more important question is SHOULD you ask and if so,…

Operating your business in the current COVID world with the relaxing of COVID restrictions across the country requires considering what your future workplace will look like. According to a survey conducted by Forrester Research, while only 10% of companies offered remote work options prior to the pandemic, going forward more than 70% plan to offer fully remote or hybrid work arrangements.An equally important factor in the structuring of the workplace will be how employees want to work. According to a FlexJobs survey, 96% of employees would like some form of remote work arrangement. The primary reasons for their desire to remain remote are their continued…

​By Paige McAllister, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Vice President for Compliance – Affinity HR Group, Inc.Marijuana is now legal in some form in 35 states and Washington, D.C. with 7 additional states having decriminalized marijuana possession and 2 states legalizing CBD oil use. (You can find the current status of marijuana legality in your state here.)     Many experts expect the continued expansion of legalization of various forms.  Much like alcohol, no law requires employers to allow employees to use or be under the influence of marijuana at work. However, unlike alcohol, testing for the presence of marijuana presents a problem because it can be detected for much…