20 HR Tips

Michael M. Galloway and Susan M. Bernau

Ahlers & Cooney, P.C.

Handouts and presentation are available online at www.iowaleague.org

20 HR Tips 

Michael M. GallowayAhlers & Cooney, P.C.

100 Court Avenue, Suite 600Des Moines, Iowa 50309Phone:  515/246-0318Fax:  515/243-2149

mgalloway@ahlerslaw.com 

Susan M. BernauAhlers & Cooney, P.C.

100 Court Avenue, Suite 600Des Moines, Iowa 50309Phone:  515/246-0310Fax:  515/243-2149

sbernau@ahlerslaw.com 

Question 1: An employee walked off the job with a stapler; can I deduct the cost of the stapler from her last check?

Question 2: Am I required to provide a break to my employees? And, must employees on break be paid?

Question 3: Do we have to pay out unused vacation at the end of employment?

Question 4: Is Iowa still an “At-Will” State?

Question 5: What is the process before the Iowa Civil Rights Commission?

Question 6: If we get sued, why does our attorney talk about “removing” the case to Federal Court?

Question 7: Do we need to investigate an anonymous harassment complaint? How about a rumor?

Question 8: Who should perform harassment investigations?

Question 9: Should there be an investigatory written report?

Question 10: What should be done with the investigatory file and any disciplinary action that result?

Question 11: Should we ask for a release if we pay severance ?

Question 12: How do we regulate cell phone, e-mail and internet use?

Question 13: Can we drug test our employees?

Question 14: Should we contest a former employee’s claim for unemployment?

Question 15: Do we need to provide a former employee a copy of the employee’s personnel file?

Question 16: Can supervisors maintain separate “supervisors’ files”?

Question 17: When do we have to initiate a litigation hold?

Question 18: Can we terminate an employee who is arrested for a crime or do we need to assume he is innocent until proven guilty?

Question 19: Do I have to pay my employees for the time they are on-call?

Question 20: When can I make deductions from an exempt employee’s pay?

Question 21: AUDIENCE CHOICE