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Corporate Wellness—Real World ROI of ‘4 Plus 5’

Wellness is well worth it, says Ron Keen, co-founder and President of PureWellness. That becomes easy to understand when you appreciate that lifestyle is the single largest factor in health, he says.  If your entity is typical, Keen says, probably about 20 percent of your employees have diseases or medical problems that are not preventable. […]

Colorado Employees Entitled to Leave for Children’s Academic Activities

On June 1, 2009, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed the Parental Involvement in K-12 Education Act (H.B. 1057) into law. The Act takes effect on August 5, 2009, and requires employers with 50 or more employees to grant leave to employees to attend their children’s academic activities. Under the Parental Involvement in K-12 Education Act, […]

Compensatory, Punitive Damages for Wisconsion Discrimination Claims

Governor Doyle recently signed Senate Bill 20, which drastically changes discrimination claims under Wisconsin law. Previously, discrimination claims based under Wisconsin law were processed by the Equal Rights Division of the Department of Workforce Development (ERD). The only remedies available were back pay, attorneys’ fees, and reinstatement (or front pay in some instances). Under the […]

From the CEA Mailbag: Are Paid Birthdays Off the Same as Vacation?

A California Employer Advisor reader asks: Our company policy gives employees their actual birthday off with pay. A birthday that falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday will be taken on the preceding or following workday. Subject to a supervisor’s approval, employees may take another day off, but it must be within one week of […]

Termination Clauses in Canadian Employment Contracts

By Katie Clayton and Farrah Sunderani If you include a termination benefit in a Canadian employment agreement, it is important to be precise. As discussed in previous Northern Exposure entries, employers in Canada must provide notice or pay in lieu of notice when terminating an employee without cause. This minimum requirement is legislated in employment […]

Monitoring the Use of Electronics? Privacy Alert!

Yesterday’s Advisor covered technology policies in general. Today we look at a narrower area—electronic monitoring—and provide an audit checklist to help you avoid expensive privacy lawsuits. Employers have many good reasons for monitoring employee activity, but they should always remember that there are legal issues involved, with privacy being the most prevalent. In general, says […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on June 8. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen […]

Psst! I’ll Show You How to Work Around that Policy

Make sure employees know the “why” behind your tech policies, says attorney Lisa Guerin. Otherwise, they’ll find workarounds that could confound—or bring down—your systems. Guerin’s tips come from her recently published book, Smart Policies for Workplace Technologies (NOLO, 2009). She says that you must explain the policies you write about technology. If your employees don’t […]

Summer Dress Codes at Work

Workplace Dress Codes and Hot Weather

Q: Now that it’s getting warm (or should I say “hot”), some employees are wearing less and less to work every day. It doesn’t really bother me, but I believe some employees may be a little uncomfortable with the skimpy attire of their coworkers. A: As with most things that fall under the heading “best […]