Human Resources and Ethics
The employment lifecycle
Hire against a written job description using consistent criteria, and document interviews. Onboard with policy acknowledgment, safety training, and fair housing training. Evaluate on a scheduled cycle against measurable standards. Discipline progressively - coaching, written warning, final warning, termination - documenting date, facts, and expected correction. Serious misconduct such as theft, violence, harassment, or falsified records can justify immediate termination.
Wage and hour
FLSA exempt status requires the salary basis test plus the duties test. Most leasing consultants, maintenance technicians, and porters are non-exempt and must receive 1.5× their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Community managers are often, but not automatically, exempt. Misclassifying workers as independent contractors creates liability for payroll taxes and penalties. Do not let staff work off the clock.
Ethics
The manager's ethical duties: fiduciary loyalty to the owner, confidentiality of resident and owner information, honesty in reporting and accounting, no undisclosed conflicts of interest or referral fees, no gifts of value from vendors, consistent treatment of applicants and residents, and prompt reporting of violations. Fair housing compliance is an ethical obligation as well as a legal one.
Traps
Assuming a title makes someone exempt; accepting a vendor's gift card; discussing an applicant's credit or a medical accommodation request with other residents; disciplining without documentation.
Worked example
A non-exempt leasing consultant earning $18 per hour works 45 hours: 40 × $18 = $720, plus 5 × $27 = $135, total $855. Include nondiscretionary bonuses in the regular rate before computing overtime.