BOP Newsletter

Q: May an employer be sued for refusing to provide a post-termination reference? A: Probably not, depending on the way the refusal is worded and to whom the refusal is communicated.

Q: Does a nonexempt employee need to be paid for time spent traveling from one work site to another during a workday? A: Yes. Any time spent by an employee in travel as part of his or her principal activity, such as travel from job site to job site during the workday, must be counted as hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Q: I have a part-time employee asking for benefits, specifically PTO. My gut reaction is to deny the request. She has 4 of 7 days off in the week. My question is what do other employers do for part-time employees? Do the majority give part-time employees PTO? I am new to this and am not sure how to respond to her.

We have a problem with employees discussing their wages with each other. We would prefer they keep this confidential, and we’ve even informed them that disclosure of this information can result in termination. What else can we do to prevent these discussions from happening?

We need a Receptionist for just one day a week at our new, second location. My friend has one I can “borrow.” Can I do that and just pay my friend?