On The Twelfth Day of HR, Verrill Dana Gave to Me…

…a stocking full of tip summaries! After a very musical few weeks, we’ve arrived at the final installment of our 12 Days of HR series. We hope that you’ve enjoyed singing along with us on our holiday-themed journey through various employment law issues—and learned a few things along the way. To wrap up the festivities, here is a brief summary of the issues and tips that we’ve discussed over the past few weeks. Be sure to check out the full articles for more information and details on each topic.

Day 1: Seasonal Hiring. Although seasonal employees might have a shorter window of employment, companies must still take the proper steps regarding onboarding processes, training, and compliance with state and federal laws. Find a refresher on some of these issues here.

Day 2: Sexual Harassment. In the year of #metoo, it’s more important than ever to commit to preventing and handling harassment in the workplace. Here are some tips for executives and upper-level management on navigating this issue.

Day 3: Work-Related Injuries. As the weather gets frightful, make sure that you are asking the right questions to prevent injuries to your employees. We’ve worked up a list (here) to get you started.

Day 4: Holiday Bonuses. End-of-year bonuses can be a wonderful gift to your employees—but make sure that they are truly “gifts” to avoid complications on your end. Find some guidance on the DOL’s regulations here.

Day 5: Inclusive Workplaces. With so much to celebrate this season, it’s important to be respectful of the diversity of your company. Here is some guidance on decorating your workplace for the holidays.

Day 6: Implicit Bias. Awareness of unconscious bias is the first step for mitigating its effect on employment decisions. Learn more about understanding and handling implicit bias here.

Day 7: FMLA. If an employee is pursuing FMLA-protected leave, you’ll want to be prepared to handle the request. Here is a brief refresher of the basics of the FMLA and some of your responsibilities as an employer.

Day 8: OSHA. With wintertime comes additional OSHA regulations that may apply to your company. We’ve recapped a few of those rules here.

Day 9: Side hustles. Employees are engaging in more and more endeavors in addition to their “day jobs,” and it’s important to think about how that might affect your company. We’ve identified some issues that you might consider addressing in your employee handbook here.

Day 10: New Year’s Resolutions: With January on the horizon, it’s a good time to reflect on the year that’s passed and plan for the one ahead. Here are some tips on making sure your organization is well prepared heading into 2019.

Day 11: Service animals. What is your company’s responsibility when it comes to employees’ service animals in the workplace? We discuss some considerations on these requests here.

Thanks again for joining us for our 12 Days of HR. If you have any questions about the topics that we covered or other employment law issues, please feel free to contact a member of Verrill Dana’s Labor and Employment Group. Happy holidays!