Written by Garrett C. Parks from Reed Smith LLP on April 1, 2025
As the calendar turns to April 1, employers have a firm grasp of their hiring budgets to prepare for what is expected to be a sizzling summer season. Many employers, large and small, will need to ramp up hiring (e.g., hotels and hospitality, restaurants, travel, recreation) to have the extra help in place to support businesses that see a boom during the summer months.
Since spring is typically when everyone “gets the house in order,” below are some reminders and tips for employers to ensure that their work to staff up happens smoothly:
- Recruiting – Several states (e.g., CA, CO, IL, NY) have adopted pay transparency laws for job postings, so it is important to confirm that job postings comply. Also, as AI becomes a more applied tool to assist companies in hiring, be diligent with your AI team or vendor to take reasonable steps to guard against discrimination and to protect applicant (and employee) privacy.
- Hiring – With the Administration’s focus on immigration, ensure your candidates are eligible to work in the United States and have the proper documentation to support hiring them.
- Onboarding – Ensure that new employees have received and signed all required company documents (e.g., employment agreement, employee handbook, confidentiality agreements, arbitration agreements).
- Working location – Clearly communicate your company’s policy and expectations on location of work (e.g., in-person, hybrid, remote) to new hires. This information should be included in the job description. Consistent application of company policy on working location also helps to prevent potential claims, while still complying with the ADA and other applicable laws.
- Working conditions – For companies with employees working outside in the heat, review and confirm compliance with OSHA and state regulations to keep workers cool, rested, and hydrated.
- Vacation and time away – Summer is always the most popular time of year for employees, even new hires, to take vacation and time away from work. Having a written vacation or PTO policy, usually in the employee handbook, and applying it consistently for all employees will save companies time, reduce unpredictability, and still give employees the ability to rest and recharge.
These are just a few things to keep in mind as companies ramp up for the summer season. If you have questions or want to run something by us, please reach out to your Reed Smith employment lawyer and we will be happy to help, even if we’re on vacation!
