OSHA Regulatory Agenda for 2013 and Beyond
Even though your focus is HR rather than safety, you need to have a solid working knowledge of what OSHA and Cal/OSHA are up to. Here’s a general overview of what OSHA is focusing on this year.
Archives
Mood problem or mental disorder? When can employers discipline?
By Kyla Stott-Jess Employers in Canada can’t discriminate against employees based on mental disabilities. But the broad interpretation that courts and arbitration boards frequently apply to human rights laws often makes it difficult to know where the boundaries of “mental disability” lie. In a recent arbitration decision in Ontario, Windsor (City) and WPFFA (Elliot), the […]
Use the Reverse Robin Hood Technique for Top Performers
Rob from the poor and give to the rich, says consultant Joseph DiMisa. That’s how to use limited compensation dollars to give real rewards to top performers. bigger rewards to your top performers, says DiMisa. Rewarding performance is the first of his incentive design challenges for 2013. DiMisa, who is senior vice president, Sales Force […]
Decision Adds Weight to Presumption of Prudence for Retirement Plan Sponsors
A recent appeals court ruling may increase plan sponsors’ confidence about including and holding company stock in their retirement plans — especially those in the financial services industry. In White v. Marshall & Ilsley No. 11-2660, (7th Cir., April 19, 2013), the presumption-of-prudence defense again was upheld when retirement-plan participant plaintiffs appealed a 2011 district-court ruling, […]
In ADA Cases, Courts Defer to Employers on Essential Functions
The Americans with Disabilities Act’s employment protections only extend to individuals with disabilities who can perform the essential functions of their jobs. And when it comes to deciding which functions are “essential,” courts continue to defer to employers’ judgment. In Knutson v. Schwan’s Home Service, Inc., No. 12-2240, (April 3, 2013), the U.S. 8th Circuit […]
Is Time Spent Traveling to Trainings Outside of Normal Working Time Compensable?
If an employee who typically works a Monday through Friday schedule, travels out of town on a Sunday to attend a training that will be held on Monday, is the employee entitled to be paid for the time he/she is out traveling? This great question from a customer highlights a perpetual issue for employers: What […]
EEOC Urged to Align Wellness Standards With HIPAA/ACA Rules
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s failure thus far to issue clear guidance on permissible wellness incentives threatens to undermine employers’ development of wellness programs at a time when their importance is growing, business groups warned the EEOC at a May 8 hearing. “We urge you to recognize the comprehensive regulatory framework that already exists” […]
Training & Development Survey Results–How Do You Compare?
Top compliance training topics for employees are new hire orientation (79%), sexual harassment (75%), and discrimination (69%). For professional development training for employees, job-related skills leads the list (73%), followed by communication (66%), customer service skills (59%), team building (49%), computer skills (46%), and time management (36%). The survey also covered: HR’s Role in Training […]
Report Concludes Training Should Not Be Viewed as Onetime Event
“Learning is a way of life in organizations,” says Eduardo Salas, a psychological scientist from the University of Central Florida. “Everyone gets training. But what matters? What works? What influences learning and skill acquisition?” Salas and his coauthors of a new report published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the Association […]
Vacation season looms, or does it?
We’re deep into spring, the time when cubicle-bound employees may be planning their escape and vying for prime spots on the time-off calendar. Or maybe they’re so busy with the daily grind that they don’t even dream of walks on the beach or majestic mountain views. When it comes to time off, HR professionals deal […]