Month: December 2013

Special from the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium in Las Vegas Subject: Practical Tools for Supervisory Training

training improves employee morale and productivity AND lessens the likelihood or severity (cost) of lawsuits, says attorney Franck Wobst. That’s a good return on investment. Wobst, who is a partner with Porter Wright in Columbus, Ohio, made his suggestions at the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, held recently in Las Vegas. New supervisors and managers need […]

Give the Gift of ZZZs

Nearly 70 percent of respondents to a BLR poll believed that taking a nap during their shift would make them more productive workers. However, many workplaces—assuming they would allow naps—may not have a suitable place for employees to sleep. There have been some extravagant products we reported on, like the EnergyPod—a reclined pod-like chair that […]

Minding Employees’ Hearts During the Holidays

Holiday parties can be a great way to show your employees’ you appreciate them and inspire a sense a camaraderie at your company, but the gathering can also bring forward a host of HR issues related to alcohol, religious issues, or even sexual harassment. A new infographic looks at a—perhaps underestimated—threat at holiday office parties, […]

Tis’ the Season for Peculiar Presents

Twenty-two percent of workers plan on exchanging gifts with coworkers this holiday season, while 21 percent are buying a gift for their boss, according to a new survey. Now for the strange part—Respondents were asked to share the most unusual gifts received from coworkers. Here are a few odd gifts:

Washington, D.C., closer to $11.50-per-hour minimum wage

The Washington, D.C., City Council on December 17 unanimously approved raising the city’s minimum wage to $11.50 an hour by 2016. The minimum wage then would be indexed for inflation. The current minimum wage for hourly workers in Washington, D.C., is $8.25 an hour, a dollar higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an […]

States challenge EEOC guidance on criminal background checks

by Joshua Wood The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency responsible for enforcing federal employment discrimination laws, periodically issues enforcement guidance to aid employers in complying with the laws it enforces. The guidance is usually published on the agency’s website at www.eeoc.gov and can be an indication of how the EEOC will interpret or […]

Learn How New IRS Guidance on Windsor Affects Cafeteria Plans, FSAs, HSAs

On Dec. 16, the IRS issued clarifications on how the U.S. v. Windsor ruling on same-gender marriage affects the administration of cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts. IRS Notice 2014-1 is in the form of 10 questions and answers regarding midyear election changes, FSA reimbursements and contribution limits for HSAs and dependent […]

6 Reasons We Hire the Wrong Employees

All employers want to hire the best employees. So why is it that we often find, despite our good intentions and thorough recruiting process, that we still end up with employees who are not a good fit for our organization? This wastes time and money. Why do we do it?