Even the most experienced business owners and HR pros have questions from time to time. Our Quick Q&A series provides answers to not-so-common questions and links to helpful resources.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) employers must compensate employees for all hours worked. Hours worked generally include the time an employee must be on duty, on the employer's premises or at a prescribed place of work. Time spent training for a position is considered hours worked and generally needs to be paid whether conducted online or in person. There are few exceptions to this rule.  

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued new guidance on workplace harassment to reflect modern day laws and social changes. Prior to the recent release, official workplace harassment guidance had not been updated since 1999.  

Because there is no federal law recognizing domestic partnerships, it’s an employer’s option to allow domestic partners to enroll in a group health plan – even then, state and local guidelines may have to be met. For employers who do permit enrollment, the pre-tax premium advantage afforded to married and single individuals isn’t extended to insurance premiums paid for a domestic partner's coverage.

While outright banning all romantic relationships amongst coworkers is not a realistic option, employers should have handbook policies addressing interpersonal relationships. Tactfully designed policies protect the employees and organization, establish clear guardrails and prevent potential fallout.  

A professional employment organization (PEO) may be an attractive solution for employers needing HR and payroll assistance. A PEO acts as a co-employer and allows a business to outsource payroll, benefit administration and employee relation functions. In a PEO relationship, employees are linked to the PEO’s federal ID number and “leased” back to the business.  

Some states explicitly require anti-harassment or sexual harassment training on a consistent basis for either all employees or for certain tiers of employees, like managers and supervisors. However, even in states where such statutes are not established, court decisions and guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) indicate that employers should provide anti-harassment or sexual harassment training to all employees.