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When Taylor Swift revealed the track list for her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, which will be released on April 19, fans immediately began speculating about the inspiration for each song. While you #FPSwifties live for Taylor’s songwriting, we imagine a world where Taylor is just like us, working a regular office job. If she worked in the human resources department of a company, what stories would she write and sing? We’ll use five song titles from her upcoming album to address some of the everyday issues affecting employers and their HR departments.
“Two weeks” (Track 1): Legal considerations when employees give two weeks’ notice
When employees resign, they usually give their employer at least two weeks’ notice (a two weeks if you’re feeling poetic) before their last day – although there is no federal or state law requiring this. When this happens, you suddenly have a ton of tasks to deal with. You need to ensure a smooth exit from your personal and professional position, and you may need to start looking for a replacement. There are also legal considerations. Here are some examples:
- Final paycheck. Most states require employers to issue employees’ final paychecks within a specific time frame—which may differ from the usual pay schedule. Some state final pay laws provide different time requirements based on whether the employee resigned or was fired. Compliance can become more complex if your employees receive commission wages. Failure to timely pay an employee’s final wages may subject the employer to penalties, interest, and other costs
- Health insurance continuation. As most employers are aware, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) is a federal law that requires employers of a certain size to temporarily continue to offer group health insurance under certain circumstances. Termination of employment is a qualifying event—even if the termination is voluntary. When an employee resigns or resigns, COBRA coverage may continue for 18 months after the date of loss of coverage.
- Adhere to the notice period. Once an employee gives notice of their resignation, you may want to ask them to leave immediately. While there’s no law prohibiting you from doing this (assuming the employee is voluntary and no contract says otherwise), you should weigh the benefits of letting them go against any risk of turning their departure into an involuntary termination. For example, if you force employees to leave their job, they may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, but if they quit or resign, they may not be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
“Goodbye London” (Track 5): The unique challenges of a remote workforce
Taylor’s “track 5” songs are notoriously vulnerable — what issues have rocked HR operations to their core in recent years? The rise of remote work. Tracking where work is performed and ensuring multi-jurisdictional compliance raises unique questions about legal issues and strategic objectives. For example:
“Fresh Out The Slammer” (song 7): Comply with box ban laws
Taylor’s discography includes several songs about crime – just listen to the song from “Getaway Car.” reputation Or 2020’s “No Body No Crime” evermore. If her confessions in these songs are true, she may have had a hard time finding an office job if she had a criminal record. But many states and localities have “knock-out” laws that give individuals with criminal records a fair chance when applying for jobs.
For example, California’s Fair Chance Act prohibits employers from asking about applicants’ criminal records before receiving a conditional offer of employment, and last year the state introduced new regulations that expand employers’ compliance obligations. Chicago last year expanded protections for people with criminal records, including prohibiting employers from querying or using arrest records as the basis for employment decisions. (To use Taylor’s lyrics as proof, Chicago employers can’t refuse to hire her based on any arrest record she has against Esther’s husband…)
Make sure you are familiar with the prohibition laws that apply to you and tailor your job application and recruiting processes accordingly.
“Florida!!!” (Track 8): The latest updates affecting employers in the Sunshine State
The recent uptick in workplace legal developments in Florida warrants three exclamation points. Here are some of the latest updates:
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” (Track 13): Revising Workplace Romance Policy
And Taylor – the self-proclaimed “Chairman” of the “Torture Poets Ministry” – is using “All is fair in love and poetry” message, which is probably not a very good workplace motto. If Taylor were to lead HR, she would reinvent the company’s workplace romance policy (#TaylorsVersion).
We recently covered key points that employers should consider when updating these policies, including that when a workplace relationship ends, ex-lovers may need to continue working together after the breakup. Even if they can do this heartbreakingly, the whole situation can have a negative impact on employee morale and lead to serious claims against the company.
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