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‘Don’t Obfuscate the Obvious’ Say Confused Fed Workers

It seems so simple. You see this one word on those news crawls at the bottom of your TV picture or on websites every time there is inclement weather—“Closed.” But it seems the federal government can’t be so succinct when it wants to tell its employees that their workplace isn’t open. The confusing language used […]

Employment Law Outlook for 2013 and Beyond

Panelists included Susan Webman, Of Counsel with FortneyScott in Washington, DC; John Husband, senior partner with Holland & Hart in the firm’s Denver, Colorado office; Linda Walton, attorney with Perkins Coie LLP in Seattle; and panel moderator Charles Plumb, partner with McAfee & Taft in the firm’s Tulsa, Oklahoma office. Hot Topics: Equal Pay Act […]

How Involved Are Your Managers in Your Training Program?

Dominium (www.dominiumapartments.com), an apartment community management and development firm, introduced Dominium University several years ago, says Tanya Adair, vice president of Human Resources and Administration. In some cases, outside vendors provide training, such as courses on tax credit compliance, Microsoft® Outlook or Excel. However, most classes are led by seasoned Dominium managers, many of whom […]

Who Took My Thanksgiving Leftovers?

Has your Thanksgiving leftovers disappeared from the workplace fridge? If so, you may not be the only one. In a recent Monster poll, workers were asked, “Have you ever ‘borrowed’ someone else’s food from the shared refrigerator at work?” While a majority (82 percent) is innocent, others are frank about their thievery. Twelve percent admitted […]

Fraudulent Disbursement to Ex-Spouse Not a Forfeiture, Court Rules

Plan sponsors and administrators face many issues when making disbursements from retirement plans. A recent court ruling on a payout based on a fraudulent claim should reassure those making distributions that if the distribution was in accordance with the plan terms, an employer may not suffer a penalty. In Foster v. PPG Industries Inc. (No. […]

New year brings changes to New Hampshire employer safety programs

by Jeanine Poole New Hampshire’s requirements for employer safety programs are changing. Passed in June, House Bill 1587 goes into effect on January 1, 2013. The new law provides: Employers with 15 or more employees (formerly 10 or more employees) must have a written safety program filed with the New Hampshire Department of Labor (NHDOL). […]

Examine winter-weather policy before hazardous conditions strike

Although the calendar shows winter is still a month away, employers would be wise to think now about how they’ll handle the challenges hazardous winter weather will bring. When snow, ice, or other extreme weather shows up in the forecast, employers’ thoughts turn to how weather might prevent employees from getting to work and how […]

Holiday bonuses may cause FLSA headaches

by Kara E. Shea Many employers provide bonuses to employees this time of year, including everything from holiday turkeys to annual longevity pay. However, employers that play Santa must be mindful that under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), some bonuses may require additional overtime pay to nonexempt employees. Payments that affect overtime First, […]

Making Managers Manage

Surely one of the most frustrating things about HR is managers who won’t manage. HR sets up its policies, practices, and systems and then managers don’t follow through. Some don’t care, some can’t, and some just don’t have the backbone to make tough calls. One thing’s sure—when things go South, HR’s going to catch the […]

Are Employees on Leave Talking and Texting? (FLSA)

[Go here for risks 1 to 5.] 6. Fair Labor Standards Act Risks For exempt employees, employers must pay the full salary for any workweek, regardless of the number of days or hours worked. Therefore, if an exempt employee is on an unpaid leave of absence and uses an electronic device to check or respond […]