Courts recognize that employers must be free to manage their workforces as they see fit—with some limitations. But that live-and-let-live ethos changed when the Supreme Court issued its Muldrow v. St. Louis decision in April 2024.

In the 48 hours after President Trump took office on Jan. 20, he issued a torrent of executive orders and actions, many of them bearing directly on issues that matter to HR professionals and employers.

• Clear communication and accountability. Learn how to set clear expectations and follow through with appropriate consequences when employees fall short.
• Practical insights for challenging environments. Gain strategies for maintaining team productivity even in the most difficult situations.
• Early detection of problem behaviors. Understand how to spot and address difficult behaviors early on to prevent them from spreading and damaging the team.
• Conflict-resolution techniques. Discover proven communication methods to defuse tension and resolve conflicts effectively.
• Scripts for tough conversations. Get access to sample scripts that will help you confidently address common management challenges, from performance issues to negative attitudes.

• Why leaders behave abrasively.
• Why they don’t perceive themselves to be abrasive.
• How to identify abrasive behavior and intervene early to avoid damage to co-workers and organizational operations.
• The 5 steps of courageous conduct intervention.
• How to help management grow their management backbone and manage unacceptable conduct.
• How to overcome leadership anxiety and defensiveness at the prospect of intervening with an abrasive employee.

• Documenting discipline and performance. Essential practices for legally sound terminations.
• Terminating remote workers. Specific protocols for remote employees, including those with accommodations.
• Conducting termination meetings. Step-by-step guidance on timing, location, attendees and communication.
• Severance agreements. Using and drafting agreements to mitigate legal risks.
• Compliance with WARN laws. Recent examples and best practices for layoffs.
• Handling unemployment benefits. Strategic considerations for contesting or avoiding claims.
• Emergency preparedness. Creating an effective emergency plan for termination situations.
• Rehiring considerations. When to leave the door open for potential rehiring.
• Establishing airtight policies. Best practices for developing and implementing termination policies.

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I understand that the FMLA allows salaries to be reduced for exempt employees who are on intermittent FMLA. However, my question is this: Would I change them to an “hourly basis” during the approved intermittent FMLA event? And if so, would they be eligible for overtime? Or would I just continue to track the FMLA hours and reduce their pay based on the hours they used?

The coming Immigration and Enforcement crackdown on immigrants lacking legal status won’t affect you or your employees if you know—because of their I-9 documentation—that they are legally allowed to work in the U.S. However, you may not be so confident if you use subcontractors or temporary workers.

If you’re faced with a staff member who isn’t a good fit, is termination the answer, or would it be better to demote the employee? The answer is, of course, it depends. Always weigh demotions case by case.

With February comes Valentine’s Day, as good an excuse as any to review your policies so employees understand there are limits on how, where and when they can embrace the spirit of romance at work.