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Wage and Hour: Court Weighs in on Employers’ Meal Period Obligations

In California, employers must provide meal periods to employees at certain intervals. But must employers ensure that employees actually take their meal periods, or is it sufficient to offer the meal break time and leave it up to the employee to decide whether to take it? Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much guidance on these questions […]

Employment Law Tip: Business Safety Overseas

If your employees travel around the world as part of their job duties, they can face a variety of unique safety concerns, including political unrest or acts of terrorism. One of the things you can do to ensure their safety is to make sure they have access to up-to-date information regarding dangerous airports or countries, […]

Immigration: Court Postpones No-Match Rule

Several weeks ago, we reported on a new rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) describing the steps an employer must take when it receives a “no-match” letter from DHS or the Social Security Administration. The regulation was slated to go into effect on Sept. 14, 2007.

Your Policy on Religion in the Workplace: What It Must Address

Without a solid policy on religion, you haven’t a prayer of winning a discrimination case. Here’s some of what that policy should take into account. Also included is a tool to handle virtually all your policy issues without the work and worry of writing these edicts yourself. With both the Jewish High Holy Days and […]

Religion in the Workplace: How to Legally Handle It

By law, you must accommodate religious expression in the workplace to the greatest extent possible. Here are some righteous ideas for handling that responsibility. This Wednesday marks a holy occasion for two of the world’s key religions. The Jewish New Year, called Rosh Hashanah, begins at sundown, continuing with major prayers through Friday. It’s the […]

Tuition Reimbursement: Sound Investment … or Wasted Money?

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Tuition reimbursement has helped thousands of employees, but has it done anything for their companies? Our CEO looks for the benefit in the benefit. Nothing is sacred these days. Not motherhood. Not apple pie. Not even tuition reimbursement. Reimbursing employees for education expenses might seem like the most […]

Checklist for Internal Investigations

How an employer responds to an employee complaint or allegations of misconduct can make the difference between promptly and effectively resolving the issue—or stepping into an expensive and protracted legal battle. And whether an internal problem is handled properly often boils down to the investigation process. A thorough and effective investigation can be the critical […]

States Take the Lead on Employment Law: Here’s How to Keep Up

As Washington gridlock worsens, the states are getting more aggressive on employment law. Here’s a widely used tool to make sure you’re aware of the changes in your state. Yesterday’s Daily Advisor dealt with whether employment laws that require notice be given to employees about their wage and hour, safety, and other protections also say […]

Privacy: Should We Use Information About Employee Whereabouts We Get from GPS Devices?

Because of advances in technology, we now have a lot of information about our employees that we never had before. For example, we know where—exactly where—many of our employees are because of the GPS capabilities of their phones and automobiles. Is it an invasion of privacy to ask questions based on that information, e.g., Why […]