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Carl Crosby Lehmann

What’s the best way to handle termination meetings?

11/11/2010
Q. I just terminated an employee and it was an ugly, public scene. Do you have any tips for making termination meetings easier?

Can worker who is out on unpaid leave suspend payments to her 401(k) loan?

10/15/2010
Q. We have an employee out on an unpaid leave of absence. She has informed us she would like to suspend payment on a loan she took out against her 401(k). Is that permitted?

What’s the downside of employee leave pools?

10/15/2010
Q. We would like to set up an employee leave-sharing program in which employees would contribute unused paid time off to a “pool” that could then be used by other employees who have run out of paid time-off hours. Are there any issues we should be aware of in setting up an arrangement like this?

Cash out or carry over: Can we offer employees that choice for accrued paid time off?

10/15/2010
Q. Our policy lets employees carry over up to 100 hours of unused paid time off from year to year. We would like to change the policy to permit employees the choice between cashing out paid time off and carrying it over into the next year in order to encourage them to reduce their paid time-off accruals. Is this a problem?

Benefits primer: How to stop worrying and love your 401(k) plan

10/15/2010

Admit it. Administering your company’s retirement plan is probably one aspect of the job you wish you could leave behind. But it’s an important one. A retirement plan is a legally binding document that gives enforceable rights to plan participants. Failing to follow plan terms can be a headache—and costly! Fortunately, a few easy steps can help keep your retirement plan on track and in compliance.

How should we handle a deceased worker’s e-mail?

09/08/2010
Q. A deceased employee’s spouse has asked us for copies of personal e-mails that were on the employee’s work computer. Can we provide her copies?

What should we do with the belongings of an employee who died?

09/08/2010
Q. One of our employees recently died. We still have his personal belongings and are wondering what we should do to return these items?

Can we make this hire? Confidentiality agreement doesn’t include a noncompete

09/08/2010
Q. We want to hire an applicant, but received a letter from his employer stating that working for us would violate a confidentiality agreement he signed with that employer. Since he doesn’t have a noncompete agreement, can we hire him?

Can we terminate an employee who has been discussing how much he gets paid?

08/12/2010
Q. Our company has a confidentiality policy about employee wages. We recently learned that one of our employees has been violating this policy by disclosing his hourly pay rate to co-workers. Can we terminate this employee for violating our company policy?

What are our FMLA obligations when an employee has to care for a child he isn’t related to?

08/12/2010
Q. An employee has requested FMLA-protected leave to care for his partner’s son. We are aware that the child is not legally or biologically related to our employee. Do we have to grant the leave?