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Final pay rules in California: Understanding the waiting-time penalty

What is the waiting-time penalty? Under California Labor Code Section 203, employers will be assessed a penalty for any willful failure of on-time payment of any part of final wages due to a departing employee. Remember that wages earned are due and payable immediately upon discharge for involuntary terminations. For resignations with at least 72 […]

California Pregnancy Regulations Revised

The state Fair Employment and Housing Commission has just announced the approval of changes to the state’s pregnancy regulations. The changes go into effect on December 30, 2012. They make significant changes to the existing law, including:

Die Hard … with a Christmas vengeance

Litigation Value: $50,000 or so, depending on how much harm comes out of an essentially unsupervised holiday party It is the annual Christmas episode of The Office, and it’s bittersweet as Jim and Pam talk about how this will be the last Christmas party for the both of them at Dunder Mifflin Scranton–much like it […]

It’s time for flu season safeguards in the workplace

by Tammy Binford The headlines are alarming. A virulent flu strain is striking in at least some parts of the country earlier than usual, possibly signaling a rougher-than-normal flu season. Employers who ignore the flu threat risk turning their workplaces into a flu-fueled fever frenzy that gets worse throughout the winter and into spring. A […]

Insights from a CEO: Removing the stigma of HR as a cost center

Consider the human resources department: Is it a center for strategic thinking or a cost center–necessary but still a burden on the bottom line rather than a contributor to profits? That’s one question to explore as HR professionals work to earn the “seat at the table” they’ve long sought. Recently, a group of HR professionals […]

Tips for managing employee requests for time off during the holidays

The best way to account for employee absences during the holidays is to plan ahead. Creating a plan allows you to make sure that your company still has enough employees to operate while allowing time off to those who request vacation leave. Vacation leave is governed by the employer’s policies Remember that while neither federal […]

2012 Survey Highlights–Pay, Policies, HR, Leave, Holidays

In today’s Advisor, we’ll do our annual summary of our 2012 survey results—a good time to check your practices against those of thousands of other employers around the country. Pay Budgets 2.5 to 3 Percent Our survey revealed that most employers offered modest pay increases in 2012 and will do so again in 2013. In […]

The Best Harassment Prevention Prescription is to Train, Train, Train

[Go here for 1 to 5] 6. A superior blocks a promotion for a subordinate who has firmly stated that the superior’s sexual remarks were unwelcome. This is another example of potential tangible employment action harassment. Of course, the superior can argue that he or she blocked the promotion for a good business reason, but […]

Signs of Disengagement—and What to Do About It

Botwin, who is CEO of SPC (Strategy People Culture) Consulting in Florham Park, New Jersey, offers 14 signs of disengagement: Signs of Disengagement High turnover Lack of cooperation Lack of feedback Shaving of hours Absenteeism Quality less than capability Customer complaints High shrinkage Lack of pride/care in the business Lack of creativity and new ideas […]

Q&A on personnel records

Personnel records often contain sensitive information, so you have to handle them carefully. They can not only prove you’re in compliance with government recordkeeping requirements, but they also can make or break your case during disputes with current or former employees.