Court Rules Employer Owes No Post-Termination Commissions
A recent California appeals court decision highlights the importance of carefully drafted commission pay agreements.
Archives
Short-Term Gain for Long-Term Pain?
There has always been a lot of focus on quarterly earning reports, but given the current economic environment, this corporate ritual has come under even greater scrutiny. Everyone is trying to read the crystal ball and figure out what every little detail means. Sales are down 30% when compared to the same quarter but are […]
Greening the Workplace: Put Your Company Ahead of the Curve
Recycling bins in the break room and copy room? Check. Water cooler installed to cut down on bottled water consumption? Check. Recycled paper for internal copying and printing? Check.
First Impressions
Litigation Value: $0 Potential Savings: $10,000 per retained employee Last night’s rerun didn’t offer much new, so we’ll fulfill our promise to revisit the second “Michael Scott Paper Company” episode. Michael crafted a deal to house his new company’s headquarters in a Dunder Mifflin closet. The dream team’s starry-eyed optimism soon wore off after Michael, […]
Supreme Court Ruling Makes Proving Age Discrimination More Difficult
The U.S. Supreme Court held today in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., that employees who sue their employers for age discrimination must prove that age was the cause of an employment decision, even if they have some evidence that age was a factor in the decision. This 5-4 decision makes it harder for employees […]
Can HR Help Cure ‘Fiscal Decadence Disorder’?
With layoffs and downsizings all around us, today’s guest columnist, Maurizio Morselli, wonders whether HR can help ensure that these “staff-ectomies” are carefully planned and cut no deeper than absolutely necessary. Organizations and individuals are faced with new challenges every day. The global “FDD” (fiscal decadence disorder) is the latest malady that has created enormous […]
Obama Extends Benefits to Same-Sex Partners of Federal Employees
President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Federal Benefits and Non-Discrimination June 17 at an Oval Office event. The memorandum addresses the benefits to which same-sex partners of federal employees may be entitled and is a result of internal reviews conducted by the director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the secretary […]
The Critical Line Between Essential and Marginal Functions
In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at criteria for identifying “essential functions” for job descriptions. Today, again courtesy of Natividad Valdez of Washington State Department of Personnel, we share more tips on essential functions, and an introduction to a new job description management program. What criteria should be used to differentiate between marginal and essential functions? […]
EEOC Votes to Revise ADA Amendments Act Regulations
(Updated June 17, 2009) The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted Wednesday (June 17) to move forward with revising its regulations to conform to changes made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), which would make it easier for an individual seeking protection under the ADA to establish that he or she has a […]
Most Common ‘Essential Function’ Mistakes
Conceptually, “essential functions” seems easy enough, but it’s tricky when you get down to specifics. And there are common mistakes that are easily avoided. Here are some “essential” guidelines, courtesy of attorney Natividad Valdez of the Washington State Department of Personnel. Why Are Essential Functions So Important? From a human resources standpoint, identifying essential functions […]