Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Massive revisions in the Pension Protection Act have opened the door to automatically enroll every employee or to pay retirement benefits even as senior members of your team keep working. Here’s what you need to know about these new PPA-driven opportunities. Employers are generally leery of anything coming out of Washington that affects them. But […]
Direct payroll deposit can be a real timesaver for employers and employees alike. But did you know that California law prohibits employers from requiring employees to use direct deposit for their paychecks? Specifically, Labor Code Section 213 makes it clear that employers can use direct deposit, but only when the employee voluntarily authorizes it. Additional […]
In the current issue of the California Employer Advisor, we report on a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation mandating the steps an employer must take to verify an employee’s Social Security number (SSN) when the employer receives a “no-match” letter from the DHS or the Social Security Administration. Under the rule, employers would […]
The new decision focused on the union organizing practice known as “salting”—whereby unions send individuals to apply for jobs with the ultimate purpose of organizing the company from within. The NLRB said that although some union salts may genuinely desire to work for a nonunion employer and to proselytize co-workers on behalf of a union, […]
Teams can make work more productive, and enjoyable as well, but supervisors need to be trained to lead them. Here’s an affordable tool to do it. Recent surveys, including our own National Employee Attitude Survey, show that teamwork, though a lofty goal in theory and a fact at our overseas competitors, remains elusive in the […]
Don’t you hate when that happens? Or that? Or that? A new book lists things that rile you up the most … and what you do in return. Ever since the Japanese started eating the lunch of American business back in the 1970s, U.S. companies have focused on the team. After all, that was a […]
LITIGATION VALUE: $450,000 (could be more if several employees file claims) As Julie has been called upon to practice law this week, she asked me to blog in her place. I’m Troy Foster, a fellow labor and employment attorney with Ford & Harrison and also a big fan of the show. Thankfully this week’s episode […]
The more employees travel for business, the more exposure employers have — often with costly consequences. Businesses must be prepared for problems that might arise when male and female employees travel together, whether domestically or internationally. Contrary to popular belief, what happens in Vegas doesn’t really stay in Vegas — it gets told in court. […]
McCarthy Tetrault Your employees in Canada have the right to refuse tasks that may endanger them or others. Health and safety laws spell out not only your obligations but also what your employees must do when refusing work, so it’s important for you to understand how to handle such situations. Here are some tips to […]
McCarthy Tetrault Q. When a company holds a social outing for employees and alcohol is served, what are the legal risks? How can potential liability be minimized? A. Parties and other social events provide employers with an opportunity to reward employees and let them interact with coworkers outside of the office. Unfortunately, they also create […]