4 reasons to update your employee handbook in 2022

Annual reviews of employee handbooks can help you stay ahead of the curve. Prudent employers are proactive, rather than reactive, in being prepared to deal with workplace issues. Here are four key areas of change you should look at in the rest of 2022.

Wage and hour changes

Many states have updated their overtime and minimum wage standards recently. It’s important to note some of the revised regulations overlap with federal law and adopt the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) criteria.

To qualify for the FLSA’s white-collar exemptions from receiving overtime pay, employees must perform certain duties, be paid on a salary basis, and meet a minimum salary threshold, which is currently $35,568 a year. Notably, some states have a higher cutoff for exempt workers.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 25 states scheduled a minimum wage increase for some time during 2022. The majority were effective in January.

Remote work rules

Companies bringing employees back to the workplace as the COVID-19 pandemic eases should be prepared to handle requests from those who want to continue their remote-work or hybrid arrangements. Most important, you should document your expectations and clearly explain: