Author: Troy D. Thompson, Partner, Axley Brynelson, LLP

Legal Primer: Conducting and Managing the Results of Safety Audits

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) and its substantive regulations, covered employers are subject to certain safety and health audit requirements. For example, covered construction industry employers must institute a safety and health program that provides for “frequent and regular” inspections of jobsites by “competent persons” to ensure compliance with the Occupational […]

Communication

8 Most Common Communication Mistakes Made By HR

As with any department or business, optimizing communication is the key to success, perhaps especially in the Human Resources (HR) department. Because this department’s responsibilities include making sure the people of the business are well looked after, along with dealing with a ton of legal processes and ensuring that data and forms are accurate, it’s […]

Leadership

Three Golden Rules for Millennials in the Workplace

Having spent my career helping leaders bridge the generation gap at the office, I can assure you I’ve heard it all. I’ve seen the intergenerational warfare that breaks out in the boardroom when junior staff question senior leadership. Senior leaders claim junior staff have no respect for hierarchy. Junior staff claim senior leadership has no […]

garnishment

What You Should Know if Faced with an Employee Wage Garnishment

Employers are being confronted with wage garnishments more frequently than in the past. Sometimes an employee will already be subject to a legal garnishment when the employer receives a new notice. Here are some basics on wage garnishments for employers to consider, including what to do when you have multiple garnishments for the same employee.

HR as We Know It Isn’t Working—It’s Time to Redefine It

HR has a problem. Despite now having a seat at the executive table and more resources than ever, HR outcomes aren’t improving. The number of HR-related workplace lawsuits has increased. Employee engagement remains below 35%. Many small and midsize businesses operate without fully understanding their legal obligations. And as the #MeToo movement has painfully exposed, […]

Surviving R. Kelly Raises Potential Issues of Employees Aiding and Abetting Abuse

Over the holiday break, my wife and I watched the documentary series Surviving R. Kelly. In six hour-long episodes, alleged victims of R&B singer Robert Kelly (known by his stage name “R. Kelly”) provided first-hand, detailed accounts of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse by Kelly. In addition to adult women, Kelly preyed upon teenage girls, […]

retirement

Effectively Communicating Your Retirement Plan Message to Employees

Communicating with employees is one of the most important aspects of any workplace retirement plan. A plan may be carefully designed to help participants achieve their retirement objectives, but if the plan sponsor does not effectively communicate the key information, the participants may not have the understanding they need to succeed in reaching their goals.