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DOL Issues Opinion Letter on Wage and Hour Issues for Mandatory Unpaid Time Off

In today’s economic climate, companies are continually looking for ways to cut costs without cutting jobs and resorting to layoffs. One option many companies are considering is mandatory unpaid time off, sometimes referred to as an employee furlough. By requiring mandatory unpaid time off, companies can reduce payroll expenses by reducing the number of hours […]

New I-9 Form Required Starting April 3

All employers are required to verify the employment eligibility of their employees by completing a federal Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 for each worker. Employers can use self-audits to verify that the employment eligibility documentation kept on file for their employees is accurate. Recent changes Effective April 3, 2009, the list of documents acceptable to […]

Tips for HR to Manage an Overload of Resumes and Avoid Legal Issues

Unemployment rates have skyrocketed, many companies have downsized or implemented hiring freezes, and everyone seems to be looking for a job. The current economic climate has created an employer’s market for most organizations. Although it’s desirable to have many candidates for open positions, human resources pros may be drowning in the deluge of resumes pouring […]

Oh, How I Love a Good Off-Site Meeting

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Business meetings and business travel have been getting a lot of bad press the last few months, led by the poster child for bad PR, the much-maligned, beaten-and-battered insurance giant, AIG. But BLR’s CEO Bob Brady finds value in getting off-site. Faced with tough economic times, BLR has […]

An Executive’s Thoughts on Executive Pay

Imagine for a moment that you own a company. Unfortunately, your company, like many companies recently, has experienced some problems that have put its mere survival in question. You’ve taken action, removed the employees who were responsible for creating most of the problems, and even brought in a new senior executive — a seasoned industry […]

Solicitation Defamation

Litigation Value: $75,000 No new episode this week (darned ER series finale), but that doesn’t mean there isn’t activity in Scranton. Shortly after Michael’s departure from Dunder Mifflin last week, Michael sent out an email to job seekers about the Michael Scott Paper Company. It read: Dear whom it may concern, Bored? Poor? Lonely? Not […]

IRS Issues New COBRA Guidance for Employers

Update Dec. 16: House Passes COBRA Subsidy Extension and Expansion The IRS has issued guidance on the COBRA premium assistance or subsidy provisions of the economic stimulus bill recently passed in Congress. Under the provisions, eligible employees who were involuntarily terminated from their jobs between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009, and their qualified […]

Our Telecommuters Are at Work—Or Are They?

Telecommuting allows employees to work part or all of their standard workweek from a remote location, “seamlessly commuting” by e-mail, cell phones, and virtual private networks. (Editor’s note: It’s not always “seamless.”) Telecommuting has evolved from being a convenience to a business strategy to a business necessity. With the high cost of commuting for employees, […]

WAHOO Wins Kudos for HR Department

WAHOO—Work At Home Office Opportunity—is just one example of employee-centered thinking that has helped Mitchell International achieve success. Today’s Advisor looks at how they do it. With an HR mission statement that says, “…we exist to support the organization in achieving its strategic objectives and to ensure that we continue to attract, motivate, and retain […]