A new year offers employers the opportunity to do a little spring cleaning of their employee handbooks to make sure all employment agreements and policies are up to date and reflect the most recent legislation.
The attorneys at Snell & Wilmer offer a comprehensive “to do” list of issues for employers to get working on. Here are the top three:
1. Social Media Policies
- Review and update policies regarding social media, taking into account the most recent legislation.
- Make sure the policy clearly delineates which social media accounts are considered the private property of the employee and which belong to the company.
2. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policies
- If you’re thinking of allowing your employees to access the corporate network on their own devices then you should implement a BYOD policy to protect against data theft.
- Take this opportunity to revise and update confidentiality agreements.
3. Expanded Definition of Disability
- Read up on the EEOC’s expanded definition of “disability,” which now includes cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and intellectual disabilities.
- Familiarize yourself and your employees with the three ways individuals can show they have a disability: having a physical or mental condition that substantially limits a major life activity; having such a condition that is expected to last at least six months; and having a history of a disability, for example, cancer.
