Monthly Archives: November 2016


Ask HR: Leave Requested – What’s PTO? & OFLA?

Dear HR: My employee requested a leave of absence due to a serious injury that happened off-the-job. They have two weeks of PTO available and qualify for 12 weeks of OFLA leave. They are asking to take off a total of 14 consecutive weeks: 2 weeks paid and 12 unpaid. Do I have to honor the request? HR Answer: Employers may decide if PTO must be taken concurrently with OFLA. In this instance, you may […]


Federal Court Blocks Overtime Rule

Yesterday afternoon, a Federal judge in Texas halted the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new overtime rule by issuing a nationwide preliminary injunction. The recent DOL’s rule requiring “white collar” employees to be paid at least $913 per week in order to remain exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will NOT go into effect on December 1, 2016, as planned. This injunction will delay activation of the rule and the future of the overtime […]


Ask HR: Can a Car be a Job Requirement?

Dear HR: My employee is consistently late and missing work because their ex-spouse took the car. So now I need to hire another person. May I require that applicants must have a car to apply for this job?   HR Answer: You may require a car depending on the position, but ONLY if the requirement is job related. For example, if you have a job opening that requires traveling in a car throughout the workday—like […]