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Nebraska minimum wage increases to $8 per hour on January 1

by Mark M. Schorr Because of the passage of the Nebraska minimum wage petition initiative in the November general election, the state’s minimum wage will increase to $8 per hour on January 1, 2015. Nebraska employers that employ individuals at or near the minimum wage should take steps to ensure compliance with the new requirement. Also, […]

Wage Garnishment Basics

Wage garnishments are regulated under the Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA). The CCPA limits how much of an employee’s wages may be garnished and provides other protections as well. Let’s take a look at these CCPA protections along with some guidance for employers that must carry out court-ordered garnishments on employee pay.

Arbitrator upholds employer’s dismissal of grievor who exaggerated her medical symptoms

by Louise Béchamp Exaggerating one’s medical symptoms in order to avoid a return to work can be cause for dismissal. This is a lesson that a grievor learned the hard way following the finding of a Quebec arbitrator in Fédération des paramédics et des employées et employés des services préhospitaliers du Québec (FPESPQ) and Services […]

Elf: one too many Christmas spirits

With Christmas just around the corner, my family and I have begun our yearly ritual of re-watching our favorite holiday films. At the top of the list is a relatively newer addition, Elf.  The comedy stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human who crawls into Santa’s sack and ends up being raised by Papa Elf at […]

Warm Up Your Workers with Portable Heater Safety Training

  Consider also that many of your workers may be taking time off around the holidays with homes full of out-of-town guests and/or children home from school and college. These extra folks may be using rooms that are not usually heated, such as attic or basement spaces. And they may be using portable space heaters […]

Tips for Preventing Fraud in Workers’ Compensation Claims

Most employers understand the benefits of workers’ compensation insurance. If an employee is injured on the job, the insurance kicks in to pay for the medical bills and at least a portion of the lost wages while the employee recovers. The employee doesn’t have to fear losing his or her livelihood after reporting the injury, […]

conduct

HR lessons in NFL’s new code of conduct

by Laurie Jirak On December 10, 2014, the NFL announced a new and more stringent personal conduct policy (code of conduct) for all members of the NFL. The new code is the NFL’s attempt to create clear standards and consistent procedures for misbehavior, after a year spent in a deluge of criticism for its handling […]

Opportunity for Employers to Give DOL Feedback on Provider Fee Disclosure

More than two years into the regulation’s implementation, the U.S. Department of Labor wants industry and plan sponsor comment on its regulation that requires retirement plan service providers to disclose fee information to fiduciaries. ERISA Section 408(b)(2) requires covered service providers to give fiduciaries information they need to assess the “reasonableness” of the administrators’ total compensation, […]

Inspire Employees with These Holiday Stories of Exceptional Service

  “Have you ever thought about what employees really want from a company and a manager?” asks business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. What is it that really makes employees feel satisfied in their workplace? Among other things, having a manager who cares about them as people is part of being happy at work. Liberty […]