Many state and local orders continue to require certain employees to work remotely or telecommute during the COVID-19 outbreak. And even when employees begin to return to the workplace, you may face an uptick in requests from those who want to work remotely on an extended basis. Consequently, you should consider whether to implement a remote work policy and/or enter into individual agreements with employees working from home during the pandemic and, perhaps, beyond.

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, companies have changed their core business operations and instituted new practices and procedures in the blink of an eye. The changes, perhaps unknowingly, have created risks that could jeopardize the protection of valuable trade secrets. A trade secret, as defined by the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA), is information that derives independent economic value from not being generally known or readily ascertainable by others and that is the subject of reasonable efforts under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy. Here are five ways the pandemic and its effects could threaten trade secret protection.

Any time someone walks in for a job interview, both sides have expectations about how the discussion will go. From skill set to personality fit, every HR manager is looking for the perfect solution to the organization's hiring needs. Problems occur, however, when we can’t clearly and consistently articulate what success will looks like. One clear issue arises with subjective, undisclosed interviewing standards, which can create liability for your company. A recent Iowa Court of Appeals case underscores the need to use objective measures to support HR decisions whenever possible.