Archives

Need a Political Activity Policy? (Here Are Two)

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered what employers can do about heated political discussions in the workplace. Today, sample policies regarding political activity plus an introduction to the indispensible 50×50 (50 Employment Laws in 50 States). Here’s sample Political Activity Policy number one: Employees are not to participate in election activities while working and are not […]

Use Simple Charts to Pinpoint Your Compensation Problems

Check compa-ratios, check external equity, see who’s over the maximum—it’s not rocket science, but it’s necessary, says Carroll, who is Director of Professional Services & Education at PayScale, Inc. Quick Review: The Numbers that Matter Analysis begins with an assessment of internal compensation rates to identify any aberrations (via the compa-ratio) and external equity (via […]

Turn back the clock

Last week, I had occasion to return to Chicago, which was my stomping grounds for nearly a decade in the 1990s and early 2000s. While I was there, I spent time with a former colleague, reminiscing about the good old days. We were both still in our 20s when we began working together nearly 20 […]

There’s More to Ladder Safety Training Than Workers Might Think

According to OSHA, falls from portable ladders (step, straight, combination, and extension) are one of the leading causes of occupational fatalities and injuries. Accidents occur frequently in both construction and general industry. Accidents can be serious, and frequently involve numerous lost workdays and high workers’ compensation costs. Some accidents are fatal. Train your workers to […]

More mysteries of mitigation

by Karen Sargeant and Clayton Jones Last week, we reported on the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in Bowes v. Goss Power Products Ltd., which found that an employee does not have a duty to mitigate where an employment contract contains a fixed severance entitlement but no express requirement to mitigate. The Court of Appeal […]

Can You Ban Political Discussion? (You Can Try …)

What do you do if your workplace is so politically polarized that workers in the same department can’t have a civil discussion without becoming red-faced and loud-mouthed? In a BusinessWeek article, Bruce Weinstein, PhD., who calls himself “The Ethics Guy,”says that most political issues are by their nature highly divisive. At stake in this year’s […]

‘Cat’s Paw’ Theory Spurs Court Decision, Proves Doubly Damaging to Employer

A supervisor’s apparent bias in the firing of her employee proved costly in a recent 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling which upheld a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division awarding $413,000 in damages and liquidated damages in an FMLA retaliation claim based on cat’s-paw liability. […]

Top 7 Compensation Daily Advisor Articles 2012: Wage & Hour Edition

Unauthorized Overtime–Must Be Paid Even if Forbidden Many employers have written policies prohibiting unauthorized overtime. Such policies are fine—but you still have to pay employees for all hours they work, even if they have repeatedly violated your policy by working the extra hours. Unannounced WHD Inspector on the Way to Your Office? If you’ve got […]

HR Department Survey Results—How Does Your Department Compare?

HR responsibilities, HR staffing ratios, HR’s strategic role, HR outsourcing, HR reporting relationships and more, it’s all here in the results of our “Your HR Department” survey. How do you match up? See detailed findings below. What Is HR Responsible For? HR covers a lot of territory as the chart shows. No surprise that benefits […]