Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Yesterday’s Advisor reported survey results that show rampant wage and hour violations among low-wage earners. Today we’ll look at more findings of this important survey, and take a look at how you can do your own survey—before the feds do it for you. Researchers for the Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers survey interviewed 4,387 workers in […]
BusinessWeek magazine ranks the 15 best selling hardcover and paperback business books based on a survey of over 1,000 booksellers that carry a broad selection of books on economics, management, sales and marketing, small business, investing, finance, and career. This is the BusinessWeek bestseller list for November 2009. 1. SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and […]
A recently released report concludes that a stunning percentage of workers in this country are underpaid and otherwise mistreated at work. The surprisingly widespread incidence of violations suggests that they are probably happening to some extent in your workplace. It’s likely that these figures will spur government agencies (and plaintiffs’ attorneys) to an even higher […]
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, has kicked off the holiday shopping season with a costly expense. The company has agreed to pay $40 million in the most recent of a string of wage and hour class-action settlements that have challenged the retailer over the past 12 months. Last December, the company agreed to […]
by Douglas R. Chamberlain When facing financial difficulties, employees often look to their retirement plans as a possible source of needed funds. Many plans offer participant loans or permanent withdrawals, the latter generally on a hardship basis. However, plan loans and withdrawals can jeopardize the employee’s retirement benefits, and both are subject to complex rules […]
Before each term, the U.S. Supreme Court identifies the cases it will hear in that term. While the Court has identified only three cases directly involving claims under various federal labor and employment statutes, in an additional four cases, the Court’s decisions are likely to have a significant effect on the rights and practices of […]
You can hardly turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper these days without hearing or reading something about the health care reform debate. No matter the political party or industry, nearly everyone seems to agree that the current system is broken, with tens of millions of Americans uninsured and health care costs skyrocketing. […]
You know you can’t retaliate against an employee who has a valid wage claim. But what about an employee who mistakenly thinks he has a wage claim?
I recently handed a newspaper column written by Financial Times columnist Luke Johnson to my 18-year old son for him to read. I knew that my son would like Mr. Johnson’s message. The column topic was the “clash of generations under way at the top of so many organizations.” His premise was that we are […]
According to a new survey by Mercer, a global consulting firm, 63% of the employers surveyed would cut health benefits to avoid paying the “Cadillac tax” found in the U.S. Senate’s health care reform bill. Twenty-three percent of employers said they would keep their current plan but pass along the new cost to their employees, […]