Spring Cleaning for Legal Teams: Refining Workplace Policies and HR Practices for a Fresh Start

In their ongoing Employment Law in Focus series for Today’s General Counsel, Woods Rogers Principals and management-side employment lawyers Anne Bibeau and Leah Stiegler offer proactive approaches that in-house legal teams and HR leaders can take to review workplace policies and practices. 

“A periodic ‘spring cleaning’ of employment practices can help identify and address issues before they become disputes, investigations, or litigation,” the authors write. “The process doesn’t require a full overhaul. Instead, it focuses on a handful of high-impact updates that can significantly reduce legal exposure, control costs, and better align HR operations with current legal expectations.”

Anne and Leah recommend reviewing and updating drug and alcohol policies, conducting a mid-year review of healthcare benefits, and performing a wage and hour audit. They also offer a sample training agenda to help ensure managers and front-line supervisors remain current on key areas, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation; accommodations and medical leave; workplace violence, safety, and risk issues; and effective documentation and performance management. 

Read their article in Today’s General Counsel here.