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Employee Handbooks - Work Rules - Employee Conduct: Iowa

Employee Handbooks - Work Rules - Employee Conduct requirements for other states

Federal law and guidance on this subject should be reviewed together with this section.

Authors: Stuart R. Buttrick and Susan W. Kline and Taylor L. Haran, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Summary

  • Iowa is an employment at-will state. When an employee signs and acknowledges an employee handbook, this does not generally create a contract of employment. Subject to certain exceptions, the employee can still be terminated at any time for any lawful reason or for no reason at all. See Employment At-Will.
  • Iowa law generally prohibits smoking in the workplace. Iowa law has extensive requirements with respect to employment drug or alcohol testing. See Work Rules Concerning Smoking, Alcohol and Drug Use.
  • Iowa has laws addressing the privacy of employees and job applicants, including the monitoring of employees' communications, polygraph testing, genetic testing and AIDS/HIV testing. See Work Rules Concerning Privacy and Electronic Monitoring.
  • Iowa has laws regarding the payment of wages, including when earned wages must be paid to employees and the method for paying such wages. Iowa law also places certain limitations on an employer's ability to deduct from an employee's earned wages. See Work Rules Regarding Wages.
  • Iowa law provides protections for employees who must take leave for specified reasons, such as jury duty or voting. See Work Rules Regarding Employee Work Schedules and Attendance.