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No Guinness for You!

Litigation Value: Probably neglible, seeing as no one seemed to be offended by Michael’s Irish jokes, and Michael himself looked slightly flattered by the long hug with Todd “PacMan” Packer and Meredith. Who knew that St. Patrick’s Day was such an important holiday at Dunder Mifflin? This week on The Office, we saw our favorite regional […]

EEO Training Makes Economic Sense for Employers

by Sam R. Fulkerson The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced in January that 93,277 workplace discrimination charges were filed nationwide during 2009 — the second-highest level ever — and monetary relief obtained for victims totaled more than $376 million. The 2009 data show that private-sector job bias charges alleging discrimination based on disability, religion, […]

Salesperson Not Subject to Administrative Exemption from Overtime Pay

by Jonathan C. Sterling Because one of the most difficult tasks HR professionals face is determining whether their employees are exempt, each time a decision is issued on the topic by an appeals court, it’s worth noting and taking guidance from. The latest decision from the Second Circuit relates to the administrative exemption, which applies […]

2010, The Year of the Connector: Is Social Media the Best Way?

By Maribeth Kuzmeski Just My E-Pinion Looking for a way to increase your bottom line without increasing your budget? Author Maribeth Kuzmeski says that the secret lies in your ability to connect. Read on to learn the keys for connecting that could make 2010 your most successful year yet. In today’s business world, social networking […]

Senate HELP Committee Hears Testimony on Paycheck Fairness Act

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee heard extensive testimony this morning on the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182; H.R. 11), a bill that proposes numerous changes to the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Among the witnesses present were Representative Rosa DeLauro, who is one of the sponsors of the Act, and Commissioner […]

Recognition for a Job Well Done

Employee recognition is an important, and often overlooked, part of management. Everyone likes to know that their contributions are recognized and appreciated. Yet, as managers, we all get wrapped up in the day-to-day activities of the business and can lose sight of the need to show our appreciation for the efforts our people make. And […]

7 Questions to Answer Before Writing Severance Checks

Like most everything in HR, severance programs have their pitfalls. Here, with a tip of the hat to Compensation.BLR.com®, are seven key questions you must address before cutting checks. Every business should have established guidelines concerning severance pay. Guidelines are critical to protecting the employer from lawsuits based on claims of unfair business practices or […]

Spending More on Separation May Cost Less

Employers conducting layoffs often seek the least expensive way. After all, saving money is the whole purpose, right? But recent research suggests that spending some money to do it right may pay off way more than it costs. DBM, a leading outplacement and career management firm, recently released the results of a study titled “Global […]

Notice Periods for Older Employees – 69-Year-Old Gets 24 Months

By Dominique Launay In Quebec, an employer may fire an employee with “reasonable notice” of termination or pay in lieu of notice unless there’s a contract dealing with termination or there’s “just cause” for dismissal (and save for specific statutory regimes). Like the rest of Canada, reasonable notice is determined on a case-by-case basis taking […]

Keep the Reins on HR to Preserve Privilege

In yesterday’s Advisor, attorney James Boudreau warned about the "phantom class action." Today, we’ll get more of his tips, and we’ll take a look at a unique HR audit program that will help you to find potential legal problems before the lawyers—or the feds—do. Boudreau’s remarks came at a Littler Mendelson Employer Conference in New […]