Many employees moonlight to make ends meet, which is permissible as long as their other job doesn’t interfere with the workplace. What would you do if you learned that an employee’s second job caused one of your managers to engage in questionable off-duty behavior?*

Read ahead to learn how one HR Manager handled this unique situation.

You are interviewing for an all-night cashier/manager position at your convenience store. The candidate you are about to interview seems like a perfect fit for the job. She has managed other convenience stores and has no problem working the graveyard shift.

When this candidate comes in, you are quickly disappointed. You are not quite sure, but it appears she may be a few months pregnant. You are worried about her safety and the safety of her baby if she is pregnant. You want to make sure she’s able to do the job. In addition, it has been really hard to find someone to fill this position. Having her leave for a few weeks, after being newly hired would be a hardship on your business.

How should you handle this issue?

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You know deductions to an exempt employee’s salary are limited under federal and sometimes state law. You have an exempt employee who quit in the middle of a workweek. The employee states you must pay her for the entire week.

How should you handle this issue?

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Managing leaves can be complex, especially when multiple leave laws may apply to a situation.

You are the owner of two restaurants that are approximately 40 miles apart. You employ 35 employees at one location and 25 employees at the second location.

Sally has worked for your company for two years as a server. In the past 12 months, Sally has worked a total of 1485 hours.

Yesterday, Sally slipped in the kitchen and twisted her ankle. According to her doctor, she needs to be off of her feet for 6 weeks for her ankle to heal.

To further complicate matters, Sally is 6 months pregnant and is planning to take time off after the baby is born for post-partum recovery and baby bonding.

How do you handle Sally’s leave of absence request?

The leave of absence should be categorized as:

Consider the following situation: You hired Roberta in September. She seemed fine during the interview…just a little nervous. She was the best candidate interviewed, so you extended her an offer of employment.

After she was hired, you discovered that Roberta is a slow learner (and you suspect that she might have a learning disability). She also has a difficult time receiving criticism.

Now, four months into her employment, Roberta has been having what appear to be panic attacks. You have moved her to several different positions. Unfortunately, her panic attacks have continued and hinder her ability to interact with the public, which is an essential function of her job.

While you’re always willing to give an employee a chance, you really don’t think Roberta is going to improve. You would like to terminate her; after all, she’s an at-will employee.

Is termination the best option?

As an HR manager, you’re confronted with various scenarios on a daily basis. For Marie, a Monday morning discussion with a warehouse employee presented a challenging situation that, unfortunately, she didn’t initially respond to properly. Thinking someone was playing a joke on her, she inappropriately laughed at the employee’s pronouncement that he was transitioning from a man to a woman. Read on to learn how she recovered her composure and took the appropriate steps regarding his transition and his privacy.*

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An employee has just returned from pregnancy leave and is requesting time and space to “pump” at work. You’re not sure what this entails or how this is going to impact your business – not to mention the comfort level of your other employees.

Which of the following accommodations are you required to offer?

1. You have to give her several paid breaks throughout the day lasting 30 minutes or more.
2. You must provide a private area for her to “pump” – someplace other than a bathroom.
3. You must provide her unpaid time off to go home up to three times in an 8-hour shift to feed her baby.
4. You do not have to accommodate the employee’s request. She can pump on her lunch break.

View the answer.

Managers are expected to exercise good judgement at work, but what happens when managers “hang out” with employees after work? Are they still expected to use good judgment? One HR manager decided that, yes, the company’s expectation extended beyond the workplace – at least when it comes to interacting with subordinates. See if you agree.*

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After your company’s fantastic year, you’ve decided to reward your employees with a holiday “thank you” gift.

Some ideas include an option of cash, gift cards, or one of those delicious honey baked hams – save them from slaving away in the kitchen. Although cash is always popular, you want to ensure your gift doesn’t come with any unwanted consequences.

You remember vague details about gifts being taxable, but don’t know if:

1. You can give your employees a gift of any value without it being taxable;
2. All employee gifts are taxable income to the employee;
3. Gifts up to $100 are not considered taxable;
4. Nominal gifts are not taxable, but cash and gift cards always are.

View the answer.