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North Carolina

Beware hazards when calculating N.C. unemployment insurance tax

07/01/2008
Under the North Carolina unemployment insurance tax law, employers pay a quarterly tax based on a percentage of their payroll. Most newly liable or startup employers are assigned the standard beginning tax rate of 1.2%. Problems can arise when an employer is not truly a “startup” or when two employers combine by merger or other acquisition forms … 

How much leeway do employers have to prohibit handguns at work?

07/01/2008
Q. We have an employee who has a permit to carry a concealed handgun. Can we prohibit him from bringing his handgun to work? …

What North Carolina laws affect employer substance abuse policies?

07/01/2008
Q. We are considering implementing a substance abuse policy. Are there any North Carolina regulations concerning such policies? …

State law’s effect on AIDS in the workplace

07/01/2008
Q. Does North Carolina have any laws concerning AIDS in the workplace? …

Discrimination and pay issues when employee has jury duty

07/01/2008
Q. One of our employees has been called for jury duty. What are our obligations? …

Must we pay for employee uniforms?

07/01/2008
Q. We require our employees to wear uniforms, and we make employees pay for them. A new employee said the employer must pay for uniforms. Is he right? …

Be prepared to prove reorg or cost cutting as layoff reasons

05/28/2008

Gone are the days when employers didn’t have to justify reorganizations or layoffs. Now—given the prevalence of electronic communications—you can expect a court to ask you to produce just about every piece of information used to determine who lost their jobs and who kept them …

It’s absolutely essential to treat all employees equally

05/28/2008
A newly released North Carolina Court of Appeals opinion makes it clear that employers have to make absolutely sure they are treating all similarly situated employees alike …

Warn supervisors: No angry responses to employee complaints

05/28/2008
One of the best ways to sink a discrimination defense is to come off as defensive, angry and vengeful. That’s why you need to train all supervisors and managers on how to initially handle discrimination complaints. Tell them that no matter how outrageous the complaint, the only proper response is to explain exactly how the employee should report what happened …

Back up discipline with details from your investigation

05/28/2008
Like any responsible employer, your organization probably has a comprehensive employee handbook that details your internal policies and how you handle disciplinary decisions. But no handbook can cover every possible situation. So it’s not enough for supervisors and managers to simply cite a particular rule violation as the reason for firing or suspending an employee …