Human Resources Q&A
Moresource President Kat Cunningham started her business in Columbia in 1994 and now helps more than 200 companies focus on core business functions while outsourcing employee-related matters to Moresource. She answers some commonly asked questions.
Q: Telecommuting has become quite popular. Advances in technology have increased the ability of employers to hire highly qualified staff members who live in distant areas. If the employee drives 200 miles to a meeting in the parent company’s office and you’re paying that telecommuter by the hour, do you have to include the drive time and pay mileage?
Cunningham: When an employee who regularly works at a fixed location in one city, usually from home, is given a special one-day assignment in another city and returns home the same day, he or she must be paid for the time spent traveling to and from the other city. Appropriate mileage pay should be paid to the employee unless the employee has use of a company or leased vehicle.
Q: I’m not sure how to handle an employee who has to care full time for a sick or injured family member who’s in the military. We’re a mid-size employer and would like to keep the job open, but we’re not sure how long we’re required to keep it open.
Cunningham: On Jan. 28, President George Bush signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008. The NDAA amended the Family and Medical Leave Act to provide eligible employees with two important new leave rights related to military service.
To summarize the rights: If your firm qualifies for FMLA, the same rights are carried over for “any qualifying exigency.” If the service member is injured or has a serious illness, the family member is allowed leave for up to 26 weeks in a 12-month period to care for the service member.
Q: If an exempt salaried person is ill and misses work, does the employer have to pay them for the day they missed?
Cunningham: If the employer has a sick policy or paid time-off policy and an exempt salaried employee has exhausted all of his or her sick time or paid time off, you as an employer can start deducting pay for days missed due to illness. On the other hand, if the employer does not have a policy in place for sick time or paid time off, an exempt salaried employee should be paid for all absences.