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Changes to West Virginia wage payment act go into effect today

by Susan Llewellyn Deniker Amendments to the West Virginia Wage Payment and Collection Act (WPCA) go into effect today, changing the rules on when discharged employees must be given their final paycheck. Under the old law, discharged employees had to be paid all wages owed within 72 hours of termination. This year, the legislature amended […]

Alabama guns-at-work law takes effect August 1

by Albert L. Vreeland Beginning August 1, employees with a valid Alabama concealed weapon permit may keep a firearm in their vehicles at work. Also, during hunting season, employees with a valid Alabama hunting license may store an unloaded rifle or shotgun in their vehicles at work. The change is a result of a law […]

Did he quit? Should he be fired? An unhappy employee poses a dilemma

An employee may think the grass is greener in a new job on the other side of the fence. Once in the new position, however, he may start longing for the good old days in his old job. What to do with such an employee can put an employer in a quandary. Recently, a group […]

HR Trends–What’s Hot and What’s Not

What’s happening in HR out in the real world? What are your competitors up to? Let’s find out! Dear Readers, With the constantly changing scope of social media, engagement, and analytics, it’s hard to stay on top of the latest trends in HR. How are your colleagues—and competitors—handling things out in the field? Please take […]

DOMA Decision Creates Retirement Plan Challenges

The U.S. Supreme Court issued two highly anticipated rulings related to same-sex marriage on June 26 that essentially placed matters of marriage back with the states.  This has a direct impact on retirement plans. First, the Court held that Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional based on the equal protection […]

Wal-Mart on Trial for Counting FMLA-qualifying Absences Against Employee

No-fault attendance policies may simplify the administration of attendance issues, but employers should be careful not to count absences protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Otherwise, as a recent court case demonstrates, employers with such point-based progressive discipline policies risk being on the wrong side of an […]

NLRB guidance on confidentiality in workplace investigations

Conducting a workplace investigation usually involves confidentially interviewing witnesses and other parties involved in the situation at hand. But what if asking employees to keep the information confidential was actually violating those same employees’ rights? This is what the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has implied in recent cases. What should HR do?

When You Should NOT Negotiate and Other Expert Tips

Yesterday’s Advisor featured expert Douglas McCabe, PhD’s tips for successful negotiations. Today, more of his tips, plus an introduction to the new, affordable training system, TrainingToday®. McCabe, who is professor of management at the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, offered his negotiating tips at the BLR® HR Strategic Summit, held recently in Scottsdale, Arizona. […]

Chicago Sleeps Off Stanley Cup Celebration

Sporting events have been known to take a hit on companies. Some employers dread the Super Bowl, March Madness, and the World Cup. From gambling, to bandwidth issues, to increased absences, sporting events can be a serious disruption to businesses. The latest to learn this lesson—Chicago. According to CBS Chicago, the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup victory […]

Reader’s Story: Toilet Talk or Dirty Seat? Clean It Up

Bathrooms have been the setting of many Strange but True! tales. From applicants taking telephone interviews on the toilet, to ex-employees swiping tissue paper, bathrooms bring out some bizarre behavior. This week, we’re sharing a reader’s story about how HR had to clean up a messy issue. “We had a female employee that was urinating […]