Question of the Week: How Can We Ensure Our Employees are Using AI Responsibly?
Question: How can we ensure our employees are using AI responsibly? Answer: In general, we recommend setting clear expectations for employee use of AI, training employees to use it safely, and holding employees accountable for the decisions they make with the aid of AI. Your expectations for AI use are best captured in a policy […]
Question of the Week: Does the Family and Medical Leave Act Apply to Our Organization?
Question: Does the Family and Medical Leave Act apply to our organization? Answer: You’re subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) if you’re a private sector employer that had 50 or more employees for at least 20 workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year. When counting your employees, include any employee whose […]
Updated Model Employer CHIP Notice
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released a new model Employer CHIP Notice, with information current as of July 31, 2026. This notice is updated periodically to reflect changes in the states that offer premium assistance subsidies, as well as the contact information for those states.
Question: What do our managers need to know about the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?
Answer: Your managers have two basic responsibilities under FMLA: notifying HR when any employee might be missing work for an FMLA-qualifying reason and protecting employee confidentiality. Managers shouldn’t be determining whether a situation or request for leave qualifies for FMLA, but they should notify HR when an employee’s situation or request for time off could qualify. Generally, […]
Navigating Intermittent Leave Under the FMLA
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees of covered employers with job-protected leave for qualifying family and medical reasons. Employees may take FMLA leave both on a continuous and on an intermittent or reduced schedule basis. The rules surrounding intermittent or reduced schedule leave are complex. This Compliance Overview provides key […]
Brief: New Hire Reporting Requirements
Question of the Week: Does a Spouse’s Open Enrollment Enable an Employee to Change Their Benefit Elections Midyear?
Question: Does a spouse’s open enrollment enable an employee to change their benefit elections midyear? Answer: Yes, if your cafeteria plan document allows it. A spouse’s open enrollment period could allow an employee to make a corresponding midyear election change under IRS § 125. For example, an employee’s spouse could decline or drop coverage under […]
Question of the Week: What Purpose Does a Mentorship Program Serve?
Question: What purpose does a mentorship program serve? Answer: Mentoring is a professional relationship between a senior or more experienced employee (the mentor) and a newer or less experienced one (the mentee). The mentor shares their knowledge and experience, offering guidance, advice, feedback, and encouragement. The mentee can go to their mentor with personal and […]
Question of the Week: What kinds of interview questions should we ask to assess a candidate’s competency for the position?
We recommend asking a combination of behavioral, situational, and job-specific questions. Behavioral questions ask the candidate to explain how they approached challenges in the past, what the outcome of their approach was, and what, if anything, they learned or would do differently now. These questions are useful for validating a candidate’s skill set as well as […]