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Train Supervisors: ‘You’re Going to Be Talked About on Social Media’

In yesterday’s Advisor, Employers Counsel Network attorneys briefed readers on new NLRB developments; today, their take on social networking, plus an introduction to the HR audit system that makes sure supervisors and managers are following policy. A common thread in social media cases is that the supervisors have overreacted, says attorney Molly DiBianca. Supervisors aren’t […]

Casual appraisals: Key Evidence Against You in Court

Employment law attorneys aren’t allowed to say “document,” West says; they are always required to say “document, document, document.” There’s a good reason for using the famous three words, she adds, because documentation is that important: It gives you credibility It’s how you show the world that you did what you say you did It […]

Beware Clever New Unionization Tactics—Contractor Conversion and Packaged Deals

Clever unionizing tactics such as changing independent contractors to employees and presenting employers with package deals are part of the new labor landscape, says attorney David Fortney. Fortney is a co-founder of law firm Fortney & Scott, LLC in Washington, DC, and is editor of Federal Employment Law Insider. He made his remarks about new […]

New Year’s Resolutions for Canadian Employers

By Brian P. Smeenk As we all contemplate our personal goals for next year (have you, too, promised yourself to work out more?), what resolutions should you make for your business in Canada? Your CFO might urge the normal resolutions of cutting back on consumption or reducing your size. But maybe there are some more […]

HHS Solicits Comments on Essential Health Benefits

An important component of health reform implementation is the imposition of an “essential benefits” package (of health goods and services that insurers of groups and individuals must cover). Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), that benefit package will be de rigueur (1) for policies sold on exchanges and (2) insurers of small […]

NLRB’s Disputed Poster Rule Delayed Again

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is again delaying implementation of its rule requiring most employers to display a poster explaining employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The delay comes at the request of the federal court in Washington, D.C., that is hearing a legal challenge regarding the rule. The new implementation date […]

Can’t Beet a Garden Party

Litigation Value: Zilch. An episode blissfully free of employment law problems! Tonight’s episode — the last of 2011 — brings up a reprise of “The Garden Party,” previously blogged by my colleague Brian Kurtz. Most of the action takes place outside of the usual office setting, at Dwight’s bucolic beet farm/budding party venue. In an effort […]

What Will 2012’s Biggest Wage-Related Issue Be?

“Paying to market” and “Four years of freezes” are the biggest issues for many respondents to a recent survey conducted by the HRhero division of BLR last December. Other responses to the question, What do you think your organization’s biggest wage-related issue will be at the end of 2012? included: A sad one: “We’re just […]

Another Boon for Wellness Benefits: Revealing Employees’ Unanticipated Disease Risks

Employers — and employees — may find wellness benefits an even more welcome offering, a recent study suggests. A Quest Diagnostics study found that more than 1 out of 3 employees who took employer-sponsored lab-based wellness tests were unaware they were at high risk for a serious medical condition. The study, Value of Laboratory Tests […]

DOL Rule Would Authorize More Wage-and-Hour Scrutiny on HHAs

An industry that’s no stranger to government scrutiny and suspicion has the promise of more oversight … and costs. DOL’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently proposed expanding the reach of its minimum-wage and overtime requirements to cover more home health care and other home care workers – the folks who work with the elderly […]