Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The Treasury Department and the IRS have issued final rules regarding section 409A nonqualified deferred compensation plans and arrangements. The new regulations provide extensive information on how employers can identify nonqualified deferred compensation plans and arrangements subject to section 409A, along with rules to help employers and employees comply. Plans and arrangements affected by the […]
FedEx Corp. has agreed to pay out $53.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging that the company’s express delivery unit, FedEx Express, discriminated against African-American and Latino workers. The settlement, which is believed to be among the 10 most expensive discrimination settlements in U.S. history, affects about 20,000 employees in the company’s Western […]
Last week, President Bush vetoed a spending bill to which a minimum wage increase was attached. The president’s veto message stated that he supports an increase in the federal minimum wage, but vetoed the bill because it included a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.
Just in time for Mother’s Day comes news that workplace discrimination based on parental status may be increasing. If your mom hasn’t already reminded you of it (subtly, of course), this Sunday is Mother’s Day. It’s a time when society traditionally extols the values of motherhood. But in the workplace, according to growing numbers of […]
Recent research shows stress-induced worker moods affect your productivity as well as their health. Here’s a tool for teaching workers to manage stress, for their good and yours. If you’ve ever wondered whether the mood your workers are in actually affects the job they do, yesterday’s Daily Advisor pointed toward an answer. That answer came […]
If you’ve ever said “I feel rotten this morning, and it’s going to be a rotten day,” two researchers say you’ve probably got it right. “How are you feeling today?” No, that’s not just a pleasantry. According to researchers at the Wharton School of Business and Ohio State University, how you feel … the mood […]
To lower the risk of getting sued for sexual harassment, many companies have adopted nonfraternization policies, often focused on ensuring that romantic relationships, particularly those involving supervisors and their subordinates, don’t create a conflict of interest. Sometimes these policies are designed to avoid conflicts of interest with customers.
Our company is going to go through a prolonged period of significant downsizing. A recent seminar told us to expect a retaliatory wave of unfounded allegations, grievances, and lawsuits by disgruntled employees. Can you suggest steps we can take to protect ourselves against these attacks? Should we retain specialists? What do you recommend we do? […]
LITIGATION VALUE: 1,000,000 + The “women’s appreciation” meeting was a bad idea that was poorly executed. I’m not saying that Dunder Mifflin cannot or should not recognize the achievements of its female employees. It should. I just think that the meeting shouldn’t be announced by saying “I know the crap out of women” and should […]
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Speakers at a workplace wellness program conference say, to make a program pay, start at the top, and take it to the people. Do workplace wellness programs really pay their way in terms of profit and loss? And, if so, how can we convince corporate management that they […]