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Ask Rita: Are My Independent Contractors Actually Employees?
Dear Rita: I’m the HR manager of a nonprofit that provides music education and therapy services to underprivileged and disabled young people. We have 15 people who provide our services, all of whom are professional musicians and teachers in our local c …
Ask Rita: What Are My Obligations to an Employee Receiving Infertility Treatments?
Dear Rita: We have an employee who has been trying to start a family for a long time. We have recently been advised that the female employee may be starting treatment for infertility and may need to take time off for those treatments. We are wondering …
Ask Rita: How Do We Handle A Whistleblower?
Dear Rita: I have some concerns about a report I just received from one of the employees in our accounting department, which indicates that our Chief Financial Officer may be engaged in some “accounting tricks.” While not a CPA, the repor …
Ask Rita: How Do We Handle Harassment by an Outsider?
Dear Rita: Yesterday, our front office receptionist reported to me that one of our vendors—the person who stocks the vending machines in our break room—made several sexually charged comments to her, came very close to her face, and touched her hair. Cl …
Political Polarization & Nonprofits: How Can You Bridge the Divide?
Is the world more divided or does it just seem like it? Most importantly, how does political polarization impact your nonprofit? Research shows that the ideology of our country’s two major parties is further apart than it has ever been, and animosity b …
Ask Rita: Health Benefits for Employees on FMLA Leave?
Dear Rita; With our last series of hires, our growing nonprofit topped 50 staff and became a Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”)-covered employer. We think we know how to properly designate leave as FMLA and navigate the required procedures when an e …
Ask Rita: Is Terminating an At-Will Employee Risk-Free?
Dear Rita: We are considering terminating an employee who has been with us for two years, but we’re concerned we may be at risk if we do. She’s 50 years old and has a hearing disability. She is a nice person but while her performance is okay, she has n …
Ask Rita: The 2016 Federal Exempt Minimum Salary Rule—Gone, or on Pause?
Dear Rita: Several years ago, our nonprofit learned that the US Department of Labor issued a rule that greatly increased the required minimum salary for our exempt employees, which posed a big financial challenge for our small shop. As a result, we spe …
Tips for Surviving the Government Shutdown
The government shutdown is resulting in a severe funding shortfall for many nonprofits, both large and small, which is forcing many organizations to consider furloughs, decreased pay, and even layoffs. How can you determine your best and least painful …
Ask Rita: When Is Work Time Too Small To Count?
Dear Rita: I hear the devil is in the details, but I’m wondering just how mired in minutia our nonprofit needs to get. We operate a few thrift stores in different locations and all our employees record their time on a computerized payroll system. When …
