{"id":2080,"date":"2018-02-12T10:50:43","date_gmt":"2018-02-12T15:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bakertillyvantagen.com\/?p=2080"},"modified":"2023-05-23T18:11:59","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T18:11:59","slug":"employee-handbook-updates-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sitepreviews.org\/bt-vantagen\/2080\/employee-handbook-updates-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Employee handbook updates: a top priority at the bottom of your to-do list"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Employee<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They\u2019re most likely at the bottom of your \u201cto-do list\u201d, but they shouldn\u2019t be.\u00a0 In the wake of ever-changing tides in Washington, your employee handbook has most likely become outdated, meaning your handbook is no longer properly providing legal protection to your organization and employees.<\/p>\n

Should you be concerned? The answer is simple \u2013 yes!<\/p>\n

In fact, in many employment-related lawsuits the language in the employee handbook dictated the outcome of the case. Are you paying attention now?<\/p>\n

To remain compliant, employers not only need to watch national news headlines, but also stay up to date on their state\u2019s changing legislation to supplement federal laws. A few hot-button issues\u00a0which may spark a need for employee handbook updates are already in the spotlight for 2018 and are gaining legislative attention.<\/p>\n

Class Action Waivers and Arbitration Agreements <\/strong>
\nA decision<\/a> from the Supreme Court is expected to be released in the coming months, putting the final say on the battle between employers and employees over class action waivers.<\/p>\n

Employers should look out for the decision on the legality of class action waivers and be prepared to take steps to remove such forms from practice.\u00a0 However, the adjustment of handbook polices should wait until the decision is released.<\/p>\n

Parental Leave Laws <\/strong>
\nA pertinent example of states expanding their policies to bridge the gap where federal legislation leaves off is the expansion of parental leave in many states.<\/p>\n

Examples of expansion include the introduction of Paid Family Leave and job-protected baby bonding leave in some states.\u00a0 Employers should also remove separate maternal and paternal bonding language or standards from their handbook and merge the standards using guardian neutral language.\u00a0 This push for equal parenting standard does not apply to standards set for mothers during pregnancy.<\/p>\n

Accommodations for Employees<\/strong>
\nIn certain cases the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may protect workers\u2019 leave requests whose case may not be obviously identified as disability.\u00a0 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission believes that beyond the Family Medical Leave Act, an additional extended leave may be granted under the ADA. However, not all courts agree.<\/p>\n

Some states and jurisdictions are also implementing further accommodation requirements for expecting mothers.\u00a0 Examples of these requirements include but are not limited to more breaks for the bathroom, water intake, or rest, access to a chair or stool, time off for prenatal appointments, a private, clean space for breast feeding, assistance with duties such as manual labor or heavy lifting, time off to recover from medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.<\/p>\n

Medical Marijuana Legislation <\/strong>
\nIn addition to monitoring the development of leave and pregnancy accommodations, employers should also be aware of laws crafted around medical marijuana and their tie to disability laws. Employees who were fired because of their medicinal use or job candidates who were passed over for the same reason may have substantial backing to take their claims to court thanks to disability laws.<\/p>\n

Sexual Harassment<\/strong>
\nAs outlined in a previous release<\/a>, sexual harassment laws are expected to expand in the workplace.\u00a0 It is important to review and revise your employee handbook policies to increase clarity.<\/p>\n

If your business operates in California or Maine, be sure to compare your handbook policies with the states\u2019 sexual harassment training polices which changed in 2017.<\/p>\n

The Bottom Line <\/strong>
\nEmployee handbooks should be appraised on an annual basis with increasing attention to state and local legislation.\u00a0 If your business operates in more than one state, explore the option of creating spate handbooks to reflect each areas\u2019 differing policies.<\/p>\n

For more information on how this subject impacts your organization, or to learn how Baker Tilly Vantagen experts can help,\u00a0contact our team<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  They\u2019re most likely at the bottom of your \u201cto-do list\u201d, but they shouldn\u2019t be.\u00a0 In the wake of ever-changing tides in Washington, your employee handbook has most likely become outdated, meaning your handbook is no longer properly providing legal protection to your organization and employees. Should you be concerned? The answer is simple \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12],"class_list":["post-2080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-hr-consulting"],"yoast_head":"\nEmployee Handbook Updates Needed Due To 2018 Hot Button Issues<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If your Employee Handbook hasn't kept up with the changes on Capitol Hill, it's not properly providing legal protection to your organization and employees.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sitepreviews.org\/bt-vantagen\/2080\/employee-handbook-updates-2018\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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