Author: Johnny C. Taylor Jr., Special to USA TODAY

The majority of job applications have a check box to specify that potential employers do not contact a current employer. Check this box for privacy.

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. offers advice on flu shot requirements for employees and navigating child care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

You may have First Amendment rights, but that won’t keep you from being fired by a private employer for your comments on social media. Ask HR

Some organizations that may not have offered telehealth and mental health services before might do so now amid the coronavirus pandemic.

An employer may request documentation on medical conditions for a variety of reasons. It could also be out of an abundance of caution.

A worker smoked marijuana and was just offered a new job. Can an employer require a drug test? What laws protect those at risk of COVID-19? Ask HR

A worker wants to know if a company can require face mask during a pandemic. Another wants to work from home because of a medical condition. Ask HR

Ordinarily, taking employee temperatures would be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Because of COVID-19, the EEOC will allow them.

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. advises an worker who wants to be furloughed because of COVID-19 fears and anther who was laid off because of the pandemic.

Many organizations have nepotism policies to prevent unequal treatment at work. Johnny C. Taylor Jr. offers advice to handle this delicate situation.