Month: January 2015

New HHS website provides tips for accommodating lactating employees

by Kate DeForest A lesser-known provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers that are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to provide a private area for mothers to nurse or express breast milk during the workday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making the requirement known with […]

Sundown to sundown: when employers must accommodate Sabbath-observing employees

by Gregory L. Silverman Religious accommodations in the workplace can be challenging for employees and employers to navigate. In our increasingly diverse and religiously pluralistic society, an employee’s religious practices may conflict with practices in the workplace. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against any individual with respect […]

Store needn’t accommodate F-bomb in aisle 7

by Kelly Smith-Haley Most employers know they have to make reasonable accommodations for an otherwise qualified employee with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But you may not know that the task of determining what qualifies as a reasonable accommodation doesn’t fall solely on you. A recent court decision reminds employers and […]

New NIOSH Guide Helps You Train to Prevent MSDs

A new publication from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) highlights how workers in grocery stores can reduce strains and sprains when moving materials from the delivery truck to the sales floor. Designed for retail workers and safety experts, Ergonomic Solutions for Retailers uses a series of illustrations to show how and […]

GAO Recommends New Destinations for Forced 401(k) Transfers

Distributing abandoned small accounts in the 401(k) plans of participants who have left the company is a necessary evil for plan sponsors, to keep the plan focused on managing larger, active holdings and controlling costs. Despite the benefits for the plan that this form of housekeeping provides, results from these “forced transfers” may be less […]

Save money while improving employee morale

by Richard Reinhardt Unscheduled absenteeism costs American businesses billions of dollars every year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). There are myriad potential costs to take into account, including:  Overtime; Paid sick days; Use of temporary or “relief/reserve” employees; Reduced productivity; Poor quality of goods or services resulting from replacement workers’ inexperience […]

Obama takes steps toward requiring paid sick leave

by Tammy Binford Is it a sensible plan to boost productivity and give workers the help they deserve, or is it an unaffordable, unfair mandate on already overburdened employers? President Barack Obama’s announcement of a push to pass a paid sick leave law is likely to garner both reactions. Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to […]

Survey Says: Share the Responsibility of Leadership Training

Employer-sponsored training is often seen as the primary way for employees to advance their careers, but an expert says training will become more of a shared responsibility starting in 2015. However, leadership development will remain a top priority. Nearly half of senior human resources leaders globally identified leadership development as their top priority in a […]