BOP Newsletter

Q: I hired an employee to work 34-40 hours per week. Through my policies as well verbal communication, I have made it clear that this individual cannot exceed 40 hours for the week without authorization from me. Yet, they frequently work over 40 hours without asking me first. On top of that, they expect to be paid overtime for those hours. I did not approve the overtime hours, so I do not think I should have to pay it. Can I legally refuse to pay overtime when employees work unauthorized overtime?

Q: What are the benefits of conducting an exit interview with someone who is resigning? A: Exit interviews allow the employer to take a proactive approach when it comes to gathering sensitive, yet vital information about the workplace.

Q: May an employer be sued due to the contents of a post-termination reference? A: Yes, absolutely. This is where the majority of employment-related defamation claims get started.

Q: May I recoup an inadvertent overpayment of overtime pay in one pay period by not paying the employee for overtime worked in the next pay period?

Q: Is a terminated employee eligible for unemployment? A: Yes. Although this may vary by state, in general, unemployment benefits are available to a former employee who is out of work through no fault of their own.