The HR Base Camp Blog
HR insights, leadership advice, and legal updates that help you run your practice. That’s what we mean by “HR For Life®“

HR BaseCamp RoundUp – Smartwatches, handbooks for managers, and upsetting separations Copy
My employees are constantly checking their smartwatches and it’s too distracting. Can I enforce a no smartwatch policy? The legal side of things: Not so fast! We know this seems like a logical solution. But we also know how the National Labor Relations Board feels about policies that ban smart devices. The board regularly challenges policies that could be seen as infringing on employees’ rights to talk about their working conditions, and fully restricting access to personal devices tends to fall under that category. While it’s far more likely that your employees are using their devices to talk to family…
HR BaseCamp RoundUp – Smartwatches, handbooks for managers, and upsetting separations
My employees are constantly checking their smartwatches and it’s too distracting. Can I enforce a no smartwatch policy? The legal side of things: Not so fast! We know this seems like a logical solution. But we also know how the National Labor Relations Board feels about policies that ban smart devices. The board regularly challenges policies that could be seen as infringing on employees’ rights to talk about their working conditions, and fully restricting access to personal devices tends to fall under that category. While it’s far more likely that your employees are using their devices to talk to family…
May the fourth be with you 2023
One of my stormtroopers won’t wear the uniform! Can I write them up for a dress code violation? Answer: As anyone who has ever managed a team of employees knows, getting everyone to conform to the desired “look” of your business can be tough, especially if there isn’t a consistent policy on what that look is. Establishing a dress code policy in your handbook allows you to spell out what your employees must do—and what they may NOT do—to look professional in your office. Further, in your specific instance, OSHA requires that all Storm Troopers be adequately protected during periods…
HR BaseCamp RoundUp – Emergency Contacts, Smelling like Cannabis, and Corrective Actions
Am I required to notify emergency contacts if an employee has a medical issue in the office and has to go to the hospital? The legal side of things: Unless the employee is a minor, you’re not required to notify anyone. In fact, sharing their medical information with an emergency contact could be risky. You’re required to keep employees’ medical details confidential. Unless the employee is unconscious or unresponsive, the safest thing to do is to not contact anyone about what happened unless the employee requests it. Now for the human approach: We get why you might feel like notifying…
Help! My Employee Smells Like Cannabis
I have an employee who came into work smelling like weed. I know it's recreationally legal in my state, but surely that doesn’t mean they can always show up smelling like it at work. She really didn’t seem high but the smell! Patients also noticed it, and I don’t want them to think we have people working under the influence. I sent her home to change clothes. What else am I supposed to do? We recently noticed this question from a member of our community, which, if you haven’t joined yet, make sure you do. Our community is filled with…
HR Base Camp Roundup – March 20th
In this week’s edition of the HR Base Camp roundup – Can you control what kinds of things your employees head up in your break room? We’ve all seen what happens when someone burns their popcorn or microwaves their fishy lunch for too long, but how far can employers go in terms of restricting what […]
Money Talks: Preparing for Pay Transparency in Your Workplace
Money, politics, and religion. Many of us know these as taboo topics to be avoided in polite conversation, at the dinner table, and in the workplace. However, recent legislative and societal trends are drawing money out of that category. In fact, candid money conversations are radically reshaping the workplace. The trend goes by many names: pay transparency, pay equity, and salary transparency. The big idea is that candidates, employees, and lawmakers are now demanding that employers be open about how their teams are being paid. There’s no doubt pay transparency is having a moment. Laws in Colorado, California, New York,…
HR Base Camp Roundup – March 14th
In this week’s edition of the HR Base Camp roundup – we dive deeper into the idea of including dress code policies in job applications to weed out certain applicants. We understand, in today’s climate, wanting to weed out applicants that you feel won’t fit the bill can seem enticing. However, with one wrong step, […]
What To Do When An Employment Lawsuit Appears Imminent
At CEDR, our daily focus is HR problem-solving, with compliance always playing the largest part, leading to litigation avoidance. As we all know, the best way to win an employment lawsuit is to avoid it altogether. However, we inevitably still have members who arrive on our doorstep with a demand letter from an employee’s lawyer. Then, we have other members with a current HR issue that needs addressing because they’ve heard what can happen when an employee sues. Often, in these instances, they have been referred to us to help clean things up and create a solid HR program that…
The CROWN Act – Why You Need to Know What It Is
In 2019, Dove, a popular beauty brand, and The CROWN Coalition began work on the CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. As it stands now, 19 states have enacted this Act, and we predict that the rest of the country will follow suit. Because of this, as […]
What To Do When An Employment Lawsuit Appears Imminent
At CEDR, our daily focus is HR problem-solving, with compliance always playing the largest part, leading to...
HR Base Camp Roundup – February 7th
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we have a great question about sexual harassment...
HR Base Camp Roundup – January 31st
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we discuss some of the most common HR questions we...
HR Base Camp Roundup – January 16th
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we answer an important question regarding the CROWN Act,...
The CROWN Act – Why You Need to Know What It Is
In 2019, Dove, a popular beauty brand, and The CROWN Coalition began work on the CROWN Act, which stands for...
HR Base Camp Roundup – January 9th, 2023
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we discuss the legality of an English-only speaking...
HR Base Camp Roundup – December 12th
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, our HR experts answer your questions about how long...
How to Handle the End-of-Year Bonus
It’s that time of year again! End-of-year bonuses are approaching quickly, and we are here to help you...
HR Base Camp Roundup – December 5th, 2022
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we have some great questions from our community...
HR Base Camp Roundup – November 21st, 2022
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we answer some of our most commonly asked questions...
HR Base Camp Roundup – November 14th, 2022
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we discuss health benefit options for open enrollment,...
HR Base Camp Roundup – November 7th, 2022
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we discuss random drug tests (including whether the test...
HR Base Camp Roundup – November 2nd, 2022
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we have a VERY important question about whether you can...
HR Base Camp Roundup – October 26th, 2022
In this week's edition of the HR Base Camp roundup, we're answering questions about both the beginning and...
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