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‘You’re Fired’—How to Say It Without Getting Sued

Terminations—they are never going to be an easy job, but no HR manager is going to go long without doing one. At least, says Attorney Julie Moore, you can do them without inviting lawsuits and in a way that makes it easier on you and the employee. Moore’s suggestions for handling the termination talk came […]

I Do. You Sue

This week was another repeat of “Niagara,” the hour-long Pam and Jim wedding episode. Doug Hall and Matt Scott did a nice job with this episode here and here offering different takes on employee behavior outside the office. But seriously, does an employer really have to be concerned about what happens at an employee’s wedding? Yup. The […]

Employees Don’t Leave Jobs-They Leave Managers

Employees don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. It’s an old saw, but it’s true. Wouldn’t it be great if all your managers could motivate employees as well as your best managers do? We think they can. BLR Announces … the New Way to Train Your Managers Offering leadership training for your employees has tremendous ROI […]

EEOC Claims Reach Record Level, What Employers Can Do

When the economy declines, it’s a safe bet that the number of discrimination claims filed against employers will increase. And as we are currently in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, employment law attorneys weren’t surprised when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported this week that it received an unprecedented number of […]

3 Tips To Ring in 2011 the Right Way

Yesterday, we looked at 3 New Year’s HR tips from James J. McDonald, Jr., managing partner of the Irvine office of Fisher & Phillips, LLP (www.laborlawyers.com). Today, 3 more tips from McDonald, and an invitation to a can’t-miss webinar on California recordkeeping.

FMLA —Never Easy, But These Pre-Written Forms Will Help

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered FMLA fitness-for-duty certifications and offered a handy form for requesting the certifications. Today, two more FMLA forms plus an introduction to the “FMLA Bible.” FMLA is never going to be easy, but with forms ready to go for most FMLA situations, you can make it a little easier. Here are […]

Supreme Court: Medical Residents Must Pay Social Security Taxes

Yesterday, in one of its first rulings of 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that medical residents are considered employees when it comes to social security taxes. In Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research v. United States, Mayo challenged regulations issued by the Treasury Department that clarify what types of students are not […]

New Year, New HR Ideas

The start of a new year is a good opportunity for you to implement changes in policies and procedures in order to reduce your potential exposure to legal claims and make your business more competitive.

Can You Demand FMLA Fitness-for Duty-Cert? Sure, BUT …

Many employers want a fitness for duty certification when employees return from FMLA leave, especially for those “certain employees.” You can require a certification, but not just for certain employees, and not without carefully following several procedural steps. First of all, the law says that as a condition of restoring an employee who has been […]

New York State Human Resources Administration Employees Steal $8 Million

Three employees of the New York City Human Resources Administration are accused of taking part in a scheme which robbed $8 million dollars from the federal food stamp program, said the New York Times. The individuals had all either worked, or were currently working for the city, where the food stamp program was being administered. […]