Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
With up to half of younger employees now sporting tattoos, piercings, and other “body art,” how far should employers’ dress codes go to accommodate this? Do you tattoo? That’s a question employers have to ask themselves these days. The reason: There’s a good chance that, if you haven’t already, you’ll soon be dealing with employees […]
It’s that time of year when vacations are in full swing, and maybe all the overlapping vacation requests and questions about how vacation works have exposed some gaps in your vacation policy? If so, it’s time to review your policy. Here are the key areas a comprehensive vacation policy should address: Who is entitled to […]
According to a new survey, nearly 70 percent of small businesses say that they might have to raise their prices because of costs associated with the recent increase in the federal minimum wage, and 60 percent of small business owners predict they won’t be able to offset the cost of the wage increase.
A jury in Los Angeles has returned a $6.2 million verdict to Brenda Lee, a former Los Angeles firefighter who claimed she was the victim of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation because she is African American and a lesbian. The award included $3.5 million in back and future wages and benefits, plus $2.5 million for emotional […]
A study of senior executives lists the skills and qualities human resources leaders must gain to reach full strategic partner status in their businesses, starting with “credible activism.” There’s good news and bad news in the world of human resources. The bad news is that according to a study of more than 468 companies worldwide […]
We are trying to take a positive, proactive stance on preventing lawsuits. What would you recommend for setting up a complaint resolution program that will head off suits and complaints to government agencies? — Maria T., HR Manager in Barstow
by Michael E. Barnsback Local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations impose record-retention obligations on all employers. In the employment context, you have to retain employee hiring and termination records, payroll and benefits records, wage and hour records, immigration records (Form I-9), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) records, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability […]
On July 24, the federal minimum wage rose to $5.85 per hour, with further increases in the next two years that will take the rate to $7.25 per hour. Most California employers aren’t affected by this rate increase, as the California minimum wage remains higher. However, all employers are required to post the current federal […]
Litigation Value: 33 million???? Typically, the workplace is not an appropriate location to practice “creative discipline.” Such “creativity” can be, and often is, misconstrued. Take, for example, Ryan. Michael was retaliating against him for making disparaging remarks about the company. Probably not illegal but easily could have been had Ryan engaged in an activity protected […]
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady When BLR’s CEO came out against proposed laws making salaries public after the recent U.S. Supreme Court case on the matter, readers reacted strongly … in both directions. Recently, I used this space to agree with a U.S. Supreme Court decision that discrimination in pay cases cannot be […]