You can send sick employees home and require that they use their sick leave. However, recognize that there may be reasons why employees are showing up sick that might include:

• Not wanting to use sick or paid-time-off leave
• Not being able to afford the lost wages due to illness
• Fear that the workload will become overwhelming if work is missed
• Fear of disappointing the boss

If you do send them home, reassure them that you want them to take the time to recover and that you will help to ensure their work gets done. Remind them that sick leave is offered so that they will stay home when they are sick. And if they are worried about lost wages, try to identify ways for them to make up the time once they return to health.

Consider allowing them to work from home temporarily if that is an option given their job duties and other operational considerations such as security, access to needed information, etc.

Remember, some states and cities require employees receive paid sick time and that some sick time, even if unpaid, is protected time off.

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

Does a company have any obligations when, for example, an employee trips on a pothole in the company parking lot and breaks their arm? If an employee was injured in the company parking lot while coming to or from work and the company owns and maintains the parking lot, then it may fall under Workers' Compensation. If not, it may fall under your property liability insurance.

If the parking lot is maintained by someone else, such as with an office building, it may fall under their liability insurance but could still also fall under the company’s Workers' Comp.

Some states even have Workers' Comp laws that extend coverage to employees walking to and from work on public sidewalks and streets if they are required to park a distance away from the worksite.

In addition to insurance liabilities, consider any company or mandated leave laws and reasonable accommodation while the employee recovers from the injury.

Whenever an employee is injured at or on the way to or from work, we recommend consulting your insurance carrier and HR consultant to determine the best course of action to protect yourself and to ensure the employee receives all benefits and protections they are entitled to.

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/BSCA

Acknowledging an employee's contribution to the company is almost always a good thing and helps to reinforce their commitment to the company.

When you give a gift card (or any monetary benefit) to an employee, you should consider the tax implications. Some bonuses may be taxable and therefore must be reported accordingly.

Usually discretionary bonuses - those that are given "just because" - are not taxable. However, if they become expected or a regular occurrence, then they may be. 

Conversely, non-discretionary bonuses - those that are given regularly or as part of a compensation plan (such as performance bonuses or holiday bonuses) - are usually taxable.

Regardless of the type, timing, or value of the reward, be sure to give it with the right message. Just handing someone a gift card will not have the same impact as giving it along with a personalized conversation or note about their contribution to express how much you value them.

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

There is no federal law to pay non-exempt employees for holidays if they do not work or to pay a premium rate if they do work. Massachusetts and Rhode Island are the only states to have holiday pay laws. However, you must follow your established company policy or, in the absence of one, your past precedent.

Many companies have a policy to pay employees their regular wages if the company is closed for a holiday. It is also common to pay employees above their regular wages if they work on a holiday, which has the added benefit of helping to find employees willing to staff operations on a holiday.

Regardless of what your practice, it is critical to communicate to all employees what holidays you observe, the ones you will close, and the ones where you will be open and expect employees to work. You also need to communicate if they will receive pay for those holidays and, if some will be required to work, how scheduling will be decided for fairness.

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

Exit interviews are not required. They are tools that can help you gather information about the employee's experience at your company when they may feel freer to be more honest and open. If you decide to conduct exit interviews, be sure to be consistent, asking all employees (at least the ones who you can safely sit down with) the same questions. Take careful notes. 

Decide how you will use the information. If you know you will take no action, perhaps it is better to not conduct them at all as separating employees may tell you something you do not want to know. 

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