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From the CEA Mailbag: Pay Cuts OK?

I was recently hired as the director of our organization. This organization has never set pay ranges or pay scales for our employees, and we are currently paying some employees well above market rates. The Board of Directors would like to set a new pay scale for all employees, which will result in varying pay […]

Meet the New Boss

Litigation Value: Approximately $5,000 – 10,000; Oscar’s Dunder Mifflin vacation time … and the replacement cost of Stanley’s busted windshield. Employment law issues often get overlooked in a merger while the parties focus on stock price, transition planning, public relations, and other big-ticket concerns. When Gabe announced to the Scranton employees that Sabre offered two weeks of vacation, […]

Riding herd on FMLA abuse

by Charles S. Plumb Understanding and applying the rules of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) causes employers and HR professionals untold frustration — frustration that’s heightened by employees who unfairly take advantage of the Act and its complexities. Here are some practical suggestions for enforcing the FMLA and cutting down on FMLA abuse […]

Shorter Workweek in a Tough Economy

by Claudia N. Lombardo According to economist Dean Baker, President Barack Obama’s own economic team believes the President’s stimulus package will have no effect on unemployment — currently at 10 percent — two years from now. The announcement caught the attention of many employers, already worried about having to make future layoffs, and has initiated […]

5 Ways to Put the Spring Back in Workers’ Steps

By Dave Anderson Just My E-Pinion Are your employees happy? Probably not, says Dave Anderson, an author and lecturer and president of Dave Anderson’s Learn to Lead. The most recent survey by the Conference Board suggests that only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their work—an all-time low since the study was established in […]

Where New Supervisors Make Their Worst Mistakes

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered supervisor training tips from Jonna Contacos-Sawyer and Polly Heeter Wright. Today we’ll cover more tips and take a look at a unique product just for small HR departments. Contacos-Sawyer and Wright, both with HR Consultants, Inc., of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, suggest the following outline for briefing new supervisors about compliance. They […]

Obama Includes Another COBRA Subsidy Extension in Budget

The Obama administration proposed another extension of COBRA premium subsidy benefits on Monday, according to Business Insurance. President Barack Obama included this latest extension in his proposed federal budget for the fiscal year 2011. The proposed extension would reportedly extend the 65 percent premium subsidy to individuals whose employment is terminated between March 1, 2010, […]

Appeals Court Rejects Key Provisions of Oklahoma Immigration Law

By Charles S. Plumb Yesterday’s ruling by a federal court of appeals stops enforcement of key portions of Oklahoma’s sometimes controversial immigration law known as House Bill 1804. First, a brief history. House Bill 1804 went into effect on November 1, 2007, and its business-related immigration provisions were immediately challenged in court. On June 4, […]

Invalid Contract Can’t Prevent $615,000 Judgment

In recent years, employers’ attorneys have been recommending “limitations on claims” provisions in employment contracts and employee handbooks. These provisions usually state that employees must bring all claims they may have against their employer within six months or a year of discovering a problem. These provisions are designed to limit employees to a shorter period […]

The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It

Employment law attorney Michael P. Maslanka reviews the book The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It by Christine Pearson and Christine Porath. I’ve been reading an interesting book, The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do About It […]