Roundup: Year-end employment law checklist; Conflict at work; Home office expenses; Employee handbooks; Employment terminations

If you are a Swiftie, you will enjoy this post way more than if not. But even those of us who live under a rock when it comes to pop music will benefit from a great list of employment law issues to review before the new year.

Employers can ask employees to focus on work at work and have rules about distracting others and creating drama. And when employees disrupt the work environment after being asked to cut it out, then discipline or termination may be the right decision.

And employers have a part in it too. As we encourage employees to bring their whole selves to work, we can't act surprised when they do.

Do employers have to reimburse employees for their phone and internet when they work remote? Sometimes. It depends on state law where the employee is working.

If you have people traveling the country in vans, it's pretty much a complete cluster. Please seek professional help. Therapy may be more effective than legal advice.

Employee handbooks are there to cover employers' butts. This is apparent the minute you look at one. This is also why nobody looks at them. We do not want to spend our one wild and precious life reading policy manuals.

Which is worse? Firing someone and risking a claim or not firing them and risking the consequences of that? Address your workplace and work environment first and don't let difficult and unproductive people drag the rest of your team down.