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Q&A

Multistate employer: Can we centralize our I-9s?

05/20/2013

Q. We are headquartered in Oklahoma and have offices in another state that do their own hiring. Must I maintain a copy of I-9s at our headquarters from that other office? 

Does bankruptcy mean employees won’t get paid?

05/17/2013
Q. Can an employer that files for bankruptcy refuse to pay employees for their work and blame the bankruptcy court for not allowing them to?

Employee gets ticket in company car: Who pays?

05/16/2013
Q. We give certain employees company cars to drive. If they get traffic tickets, are we responsible for paying the fine? Or can we hold the employee liable? We don’t have a company policy on this. I was wondering if there are any sample policies.

Can we distribute employees’ contact info?

05/14/2013
Q. Do employers have the right to put employees’ address and phone numbers in a place where all employees can access them? Are there privacy issues? Should we get employees’ permission?

Is it OK to volunteer for your own nonprofit?

05/10/2013
Q. I work for a nonprofit organization. Several hourly employees of the organization volunteer during nonworking hours. Is that OK?

Should we go ahead with layoffs–including someone who complained about harassment?

05/10/2013
Q. Our company has been having financial difficulties and we have considered reorganizing for several months. Our chief operating officer has been charged with determining whether any of the current jobs can be eliminated. Recently, before any final reorganization decisions were made, an employee came forward claiming that the COO had been harassing her and had created a hostile work environment …

How should we apply the pretax contribution limits for 401(k)s?

05/09/2013
Q: An employee has asked if she can continue to make pretax contributions into her 401(k) plan even after her compensation reaches the annual salary limit of $255,000. Our benefits department has never encountered this question before. Can she do so?

Should veiled lawsuit threat affect how we approach disciplining difficult worker?

05/08/2013
Q. We have an employee who has been a constant source of drama and complaints within her department. When her manager sat down with her recently to discuss a confrontation she had with another co-worker, she “casually” mentioned that she has been trying to get pregnant, and “wonders if the stress of the job” could be the reason she has been unable to conceive. What are we supposed to do now?

How do we fix I-9 mistakes of previous employer?

05/06/2013
Q. How do I make corrections to a Form I-9, especially when too many documents are indicated on the form? A previous employer completed the forms. Also, is there guidance on how to do I-9 self-audits? 

Is it OK for employees to donate leave pay to deceased employee’s relatives?

05/06/2013
Q: One of our employees died. Our HR manager would like to allow employees to donate their vacation time to the family and she’s asked Payroll for some guidelines. What can we tell her?