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Quirky Questions

Real Life Employment Law

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A New Question Every Week

Nearly every day, executives and managers, and the in-house counsel and Human Resources professionals who work with them, are confronted with unanticipated questions regarding the workforce. Just when they think they have "seen it all," along comes a new and often stranger scenario involving an odd twist to an area they thought they fully understood. These individuals often find themselves back at square one when trying to construct an appropriate response and devise a creative solution to the problem presented. Sometimes these "Quirky Questions" can be resolved easily; other times, they implicate practical and legal issues that are not immediately apparent.

This Quirky Employment Questions Blog addresses unanticipated questions regarding the workforce.

We encourage you to submit your thoughts and reactions to the questions presented. We also encourage you to submit questions that you would like to see addressed, subject to these guidelines.

  • Stephen D. Bell Stephen D. Bell
    Partner
    Office Phone: (303) 629-3405
    Colorado and Missoula Offices
  • Michael Droke Michael Droke
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    Office Phone: (206) 903-8709
    Seattle Office
  • Joseph W. Hammell Joseph W. Hammell
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    Office Phone: (612) 340-7897
    Minneapolis Office
  • Sarah Andrews Herman Sarah Andrews Herman
    Partner
    Office Phone: (701) 271-8883
    Fargo Office
  • Ryan E. Mick Ryan E. Mick
    Partner
    Office Phone: (612) 492-6613
    Minneapolis Office
  • William J. Miller William J. Miller
    Partner
    Office Phone: (515) 699-3281
    Des Moines Office
  • Melissa Raphan Melissa Raphan
    Partner
    Office Phone: (612) 343-7907
    Minneapolis Office
  • Gregory M. Saylin Gregory M. Saylin
    Partner
    Office Number: (801) 933-8927
    Salt Lake City Office
  • Gabrielle Wirth Gabrielle Wirth
    Partner
    Office Phone: (714) 800-1455
    Southern California and Missoula Offices
  • David C. Singer David C. Singer
    Partner
    Office Phone: (212) 415-9262
    New York Office

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P: 714.800.1455

Author:

Tim Goodman

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Quirky Question #234, Selling Accrued Vacation

Quirky Question #234, Selling Accrued Vacation

July 12, 2014 

by Tim Goodman & Dorsey & Whitney

Question: Our company allows employees to sell up to 40 hours of their accrued PTO (accrued vacation) each year.  If an employee elects to sell the accrued PTO, we pay it out in a lump sum at the end of the year.  Does this raise any concerns?

VIEW ALL POSTS ABOUT: Employee Handbook / Policies
Quirky Question #231, Is it Really Employee Appreciation if the Gift Card is Taxable?

Quirky Question #231, Is it Really Employee Appreciation if the Gift Card is Taxable?

June 23, 2014 

by Tim Goodman & Dorsey & Whitney

Question: Our company awards prizes at holiday parties and, from-time-to-time, at employee appreciation events.  The prizes range from company logo t-shirts to $50 gift cards and cameras worth about $125.  Do we need to report any of these items as compensation on Form W-2 for the employees who win these prizes?

VIEW ALL POSTS ABOUT: Wage and Hour Issues

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About

Published by attorneys in Dorsey’s Labor & Employment practice group, the Quirky Questions blog addresses the unanticipated and unconventional employment questions.

Our goal is to help executives, managers, in-house counsel, and human resources professionals construct an appropriate response and devise a creative solution to the problem presented.

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Editors

avatar for Erica ChenErica Chen

Erica is an associate in the Costa Mesa office of Dorsey & Whitney and a member of the firm’s Labor and Employ...

avatar for Jack SullivanJack Sullivan

Jack is a Partner in Dorsey’s Labor & Employment group, where he focuses his practice on employment adv...

Authors

avatar for Ieva AubinIeva Aubin

As an employment and business immigration attorney, ...

avatar for Michael DrokeMichael Droke

Mike started his career as a client, not a lawyer...

avatar for Matt DurhamMatt Durham

Matt defends employers in Utah and throughout the ...

avatar for Aaron GoldsteinAaron Goldstein

Aaron is a Partner in Dorsey’s Labor & Employ...

avatar for Josh HughesJosh Hughes

Josh’s experience spans trial and appellate advoc...

avatar for Jillian KornblattJillian Kornblatt

Jillian is a Partner in Dorsey’s Labor & Employ...

avatar for Laura LestradeLaura Lestrade

Laura began practicing at Dorsey in 1992 and has s...

avatar for Ryan MickRyan Mick

For more than a decade, Ryan has counseled corpo...

avatar for Nick PappasNick Pappas

Nick litigates and counsels with respect to com...

avatar for Melissa RaphanMelissa Raphan

Melissa is a Partner in Dorsey’s Labor and Employ...

avatar for Gabrielle WirthGabrielle Wirth

Employers turn to Gabrielle for guidance on how they...

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By accessing the Quirky Questions blog, you are requesting information. The information you are requesting is not legal advice, advertising or solicitation. Transmission and receipt of the materials on the blog do not constitute legal advice, establish an attorney-client relationship, or create any duty of Dorsey to any reader. An attorney-client relationship with Dorsey may be established only by an engagement letter signed by a Dorsey lawyer. Information sent to Dorsey by persons who are not clients of the firm is not subject to any duty of confidentiality on the part of the firm.

The information on the blog may be changed without notice and is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up-to-date, and may not reflect the most current legal developments. The opinions expressed on the blog are the opinions of the authors only and not those of Dorsey.

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