Question:
How do we know when an employee is ready for a leadership role?

Answer:

It’s good you’re thinking about this. Promotions into leadership too often come with little discussion about how the leadership role will be different from the current role or whether the employee has the interest or skill set to be an effective leader.

Fortunately, there are indicators that someone is likely ready for a leadership role. These include (among other traits) their ability to communicate effectively, inspire and motivate others, resolve conflicts while minimizing drama, adapt to change, and take accountability for the work of their team.

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This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.

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Lifestyle Spending Accounts

As employees demand customized benefits packages and more employers offer lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs), it’s important for employers to understand the specifics of this spending account and consider if they are a good fit for their organization and employees. This article explores LSAs, including their benefits and disadvantages

Click to access Lifestyle%20Spending%20Accounts.pdf

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Question: 

We need to terminate an employee due to poor performance. Should we give them a letter outlining why we are terminating them?

Answer: 

There is no federal requirement for employers to provide written notice about why someone is being terminated, but we do recommend providing written notice as best practice. This reduces the likelihood of the terminated employee spinning up their own (possibly illegal) reason for the termination and then claiming there is no documentation to the contrary.

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This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.

Answer from Daniel, SHRM-CP

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Question:

What is the difference between a job description and a job posting? Can I just share the job description when advertising for a role?

Answer:

While the job description and the job posting are similar, in that they both outline the duties of the role and the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform those duties, each has a different purpose.

Read more: Link

This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.

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Question: 

What is the difference between a job description and a job posting? Can I just share the job description when advertising for a role?

Answer: 

While the job description and the job posting are similar, in that they both outline the duties of the role and the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to perform those duties, each has a different purpose.

Read more: Link

This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.

Answer from Brody, PHR, SHRM-CP

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Question:

A candidate told us they have a disability. What do we need to do?

Answer:

We recommend asking if they need an accommodation during the application process, but above all, ensure that having this information doesn’t influence your hiring decision. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide accommodations to applicants with disabilities if needed to be considered for a job unless the accommodation causes an undue hardship. If the applicant doesn’t need an accommodation, simply continue to focus on the candidate’s skills and abilities relative to the position you’re hiring for.

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This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law. Answer from Rachel, SHRM-SCP

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Question: 

What is “at-will employment”? Does that mean I can fire an employee for any reason?

 

Answer:

At-will employment  means that the employer or employee can end the employment relationship for almost any reason (with or without cause) at any time (with or without notice).

It does not, however, allow you to terminate someone for an illegal reason, like their inclusion in a protected class or their exercise of a legal right.

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It’s 2023, and there’s an ongoing employer-employee power struggle over remote work vs. office work. While workers may see it as a panacea, many employers are still struggling with implementation and are eager to have employees back where they can see the whites of their eyes. Aside from the fact that remote work isn’t feasible for everyone (which can create hard feelings), it also presents unique cultural challenges.

In this webinar, we’ll look at the current remote work landscape and use our crystal ball (read: deep knowledge of employment trends from working with tens of thousands of clients like you) to make predictions for the future.

Join us on Wednesday, January 18 at 10 a.m. PT

Register today: https://events.trustmineral.com/future-of-remote-work-webinar/

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Question:

We recently had an open position that two employees were interested in. We’ve made our selection and our chosen employee accepted the role. How do we tell the other employee they were not selected?

Answer:

We recommend having a face-to-face conversation with the employee who wasn’t selected to let them know that someone else was selected for the role. If you elaborate on your decision not to select this employee for the position, keep the feedback honest and factual. For example, you could let them know that you went with the candidate whose skills more closely match what you were looking for, specifying what those skills are so that the candidate knows what to work on in the future. Factual, job-related feedback like this helps set up the candidate for future success and encourages them to accept, rather than dispute, the decision. Overall, it creates a better experience for everyone.

Read more: Link

This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law.

Answer from Laura, MA, SHRM-CP

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