Time for HR Spring Cleaning
Finally! Spring is here! Birds are chirping. Grass is growing. The Reds are off to a great start … well … not everything can be perfect. This is the time of year when many of us clean our closets and garages to get rid of old stuff and replace it with new. Those acid-washed jeans from 1987 and the shovel with a broken handle? Replace them with updated versions. Weeds in your yard? Spread some weed killer and fertilizer to make a strong, lush yard. Now is also the perfect time to do some HR spring cleaning. Just like the jeans and shovel, it might be time to pitch some old policies or practices and start fresh. Here are a few things to add to your “HR Spring Cleaning” list:
- Handbooks - If your handbook has not been updated since 1995 (or even 2016), now is the time. A lot has changed in the last few years. It’s time for an update. After you’ve done your updates, spend the money on a legal review to make sure that your handbook is up-to-date with all of the law changes – particularly around discrimination, harassment and leave policies.
- Employee Classifications – Are your employees properly classified as exempt/non-exempt? Are you sure? Are job descriptions current? FLSA changes are coming soon. Now is a great time to examine employee duties and pay to ensure that all employees are properly classified as exempt or non-exempt.
- Employment Application – Is it legally compliant? Do you ask illegal questions? Are you sure?
- Performance Appraisals - Review and update your performance appraisal processes. Encourage managers to get started early so they’re not working from the beach in June.
- Problem employees – Just like the weeds in your back yard that are destroying your lawn, problem employees are destroying productivity and morale at work. Find a way to rehabilitate them or get rid of them before they destroy the workplace.
