New EEOC Rules Address When an Employer Can Rely on a Criminal Background Check in Making a Hiring Decision

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has finally issued long-awaited guidelines for employers who wish to use the results of a criminal background check to make hiring decisions.  The guidelines are lengthy and convoluted, but some themes are clear. Before discussing the themes in the guidelines, it is important to understand why the EEOC cares […]

What Are The Rules For Using Interns?

This is the time of year when students looking to explore a career interest or to gain experience are applying for unpaid summer internships.  As employers consider “hiring” interns, they should bear certain rules in mind in order to avoid running into problems with the U.S. Department of Labor or the IRS. It is easy […]

What to Expect from an Exit Interview

Employers should (but often don’t) conduct an exit interview every time an employee leaves – regardless of whether the employee has resigned voluntarily or been terminated involuntarily.  The exit interview can be beneficial for employer and employee alike, as is discussed below. Here is a list of what should occur at an exit interview, with […]

Update on the Confusing Changes to Georgia’s Restrictive Covenants Law (Covenants Not to Compete, Not to Solicit Customers, Not to Solicit Employees and Not to Disclose Confidential Information)

Georgia has had a great deal of activity in the past few years regarding its laws governing restrictive covenants in employment agreements.   The result has been a great deal of uncertainty, even though (ironically) the stated reason for much of the activity was to provide certainty.  Here is a summary of what has happened to […]

Should Employees Be Allowed to Use Their Own Electronic Devices for Work?

There is a constant tug of war in some industries between employees who want to decide for themselves what electronic devices to use for their work, and employers that are uncertain whether allowing such an option would be good for the employer.  The use by employees of their own personal electronic devices, such as PCs, […]

Now is the Time to Make Sure That Your Independent Contractors are Really Independent Contractors and Not Employees

Most businesses have figured out that W-2 employees must have taxes deducted from their paychecks, and that the business must remit a variety of employee and employer taxes to various governmental authorities on behalf of each of its employees.  This means that the employer must keep track of the taxes that are deducted from each […]