Companies can restrict most cell phone or smartphone access and/or usage. This restriction can only be during work times so employees will usually need to be able to access and use their phones during breaks.

If employees do not need their phones for work purposes, you can establish a clear policy that they must be kept out of sight except when used during an approved break period. If there is an emergency situation, then allow them to have it on a limited basis with approval.

If employees use their phones for work, you can limit the usage to business purposes and prohibit distractions during work time. This can also apply to remote employees. 

Whatever restrictions you want to impose, be sure to have a clear written policy and apply it consistently to all employees.

Affinity HR Group is BSCAI's endorsed HR partner, providing HR support, recruiting and employee engagement services.  For a link to our menu of services for BSCAI members, go to www.AffinityHRGroup.com/BSCAI

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again but, fortunately, expectations are that we will not experience the pandemic levels from a couple of years ago. The CDC still requires a quarantine and isolation period. Anyone testing positive for COVID (with or without symptoms) must isolate for at least 5 days. If after that time the symptoms have mostly resolved, the person can end isolation but must wear a high-quality mask around others for the next 5 days. Anyone who is still very ill after 5 days should continue isolation until they feel better and for at least 10 days. If, shortly after ending isolation, the symptoms reappear, the person must start isolation again.

In the workplace this means that you cannot have someone who has recently tested positive for COVID in the workplace, masked or not. Doing so puts others at risk and, by violating the CDC's guidelines, would put the liability on you. If, after 5 days the person feels good enough to return, you must require them to wear a mask for the next 5 days for the same reason.

Be sure to properly pay employees under current COVID or sick pay laws if your state has them in place.

Affinity HR Group is BSCAI's endorsed HR partner, providing HR support, recruiting and employee engagement services.  For a link to our menu of services for BSCAI members, go to www.AffinityHRGroup.com/BSCAI

Companies can usually require employees to follow basic personal hygiene while at work.  This can include body odor, makeup, hair style, or facial hair. However, employers may not be able to require employees to "look" a certain way simply based on the personal preference of management, co-workers, or a client. Requirements that discriminate against an employee's race, national origin, religion, ethnicity, etc. are prohibited.

Certain factors may need to be considered when deciding on appropriate action addressing complaints about an employee’s hygiene: job duties, safety, need vs. want, and reasonable accommodation. When deciding whether to address an issue with an employee, assess all factors of the situation then, if needed, address the employee with sensitivity as there may be factors beyond their control such as finances or a medical condition. Document the conversation and protect any information gathered. Be consistent in what is required of all employees in a similar situation, being sure to not target certain employees or groups.

Affinity HR Group is BSCAI's endorsed HR partner, providing HR support, recruiting and employee engagement services.  For a link to our menu of services for BSCAI members, go to www.AffinityHRGroup.com/BSCAI

Most employers have the right to dictate policies and procedures such as work schedule and dress code. Usually, these policies can be changed at any time at the discretion of the company. For example, if you relaxed schedules and dress codes at the beginning of the summer, you can reinstitute the stricter guidelines after summer. Even if employees did not realize they were temporary changes, you can change them back. Of course, if employees are unhappy, they have the right to search elsewhere for employment if that new-found flexibility is important to them.

Rather, the question to ask yourself is "Do the changes need to be reversed?" If productivity stayed the same (or maybe even improved), do you really need to go back to the way things were? But, if there are legitimate reasons to return to the status quo, explain that to your employees so they know it is not an arbitrary decision.

Affinity HR Group is BSCAI's endorsed HR partner, providing HR support, recruiting and employee engagement services.  For a link to our menu of services for BSCAI members, go to www.AffinityHRGroup.com/BSCAI

Having people in set areas for long periods of time can bring about several sticky issues about personal space and comfort. While some things such as what is displayed on a desk is easier to control, general conditions such as temperature or noise levels can be trickier. 

First thing...if employee safety or functionality is impacted by any workplace condition, you need to defer to that above anything else. I would find a happy-median temperature that most employees are comfortable with. Then allow the employees to flex their personal conditions to make them comfortable.  

Another possibility is that one employee has a medical condition that makes regulating their body temperature difficult. While you do not need to make everyone else miserable with raising or lowering the temperature, you could discuss other options such as dress code flexibility or allowing them to bring a personal space fan or heater into their area. 

Again, safety needs to take precedence, followed by operational needs and the comfort of other employees.

Affinity HR Group is BSCAI's endorsed HR partner, providing HR support, recruiting and employee engagement services.  For a link to our menu of services for BSCAI members, go to www.AffinityHRGroup.com/BSCAI