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What Would Your Mother Say?

My mother is a wonderful woman. She’s a gentle, caring, nurturing person. When I was growing up, she instilled in me and my siblings a sense of how to treat others. My mother did this by example more than anything. She showed us how to treat others through her actions and words. She rarely, if […]

What to Do When Contagious Illnesses Come to Work

by Susan Fahey Desmond You’ve probably had enough of hearing about the swine flu (now called the H1N1 virus). It’s front-page news across the world. We are now in a full pandemic as defined by the World Health Organization, but the first thing to understand is not to panic. Your company may already have been […]

Workers Who Lied About Violating Company Rule Fired, One Who Told Truth Keeps Job

You have several employees you’ve caught red-handed violating a company rule that your employee manual says may justify termination for a first offense. When questioned, one admits to the wrongdoing; the others deny it. Can you fire the employees who lied but retain the other employee with a lesser disciplinary measure? According to a recent […]

Telecommuting: Tips for Managing Employees Who Work From Home

by Brian Molinari The ripple effect of stunning job losses since the recession that began in December 2007 have become commonplace across the United States. And it continues: the global pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has just announced plans to cut 13.6% of its workforce, roughly 5,500 workers. During the 20 months from December 2007 through […]

Office Scuttlebutt

Litigation value: $100,000 A new season of The Office is upon us!  Although Michael Scott is hardly a man for all seasons (and unlikely to be confused with Thomas More, or any other saint), in last night’s premiere he provided us with yet another object lesson on employment law.  This time the principle involved was […]

Changing FMLA Policy? Could Be ‘Worst Mistake’

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady You’ve been diligently following the sweeping—and confusing—changes to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). You’ve even instituted changes to your policies to make sure you’re in compliance. It could be the worst mistake you’ve made all year, says Attorney […]

Employees ‘Gruve’ on NEAT ‘Exercise’

Yesterday’s Advisor introduced the Mall of America’s wellness program. Today we’ll look beyond their Fruity Friday program at some more physically involved programs, and take a look at a unique wellness program guide. The Mall of America, located in Bloomington, Minnesota and one of the largest shopping malls in the country, prides itself as being […]

Can An Exempt Employee’s Salary be Reduced if Their Hours are Reduced?

I have a question regarding exempt salaried employees who work 40 hour work weeks. Can their salary and hourly work weeks be decreased? For example if they had $4450 in monthly earnings working 40 hour work weeks, Could I decrease their salary by 20% and now have them work 32 hour work weeks? If this […]