Author: Tammy Binford

Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act passes

The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act passed its last congressional hurdle February 28 when the House voted 286-138 in favor of the Senate-approved version of the bill. President Barack Obama has promised to sign the measure. The original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed in 1994. The most recent version expired in October 2011, and […]

Pregnancy, grandchild care present FMLA questions

by Tammy Binford Questions surrounding employer obligations under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) seem endless. Recently, questions on how to handle a pregnant employee wanting to go against doctor’s orders and when leave should be granted to an employee wanting to take care of a grandchild were put to attorneys. Here is what […]

Tennessee House passes guns-in-cars bill

Update: On March 14, 2013, Governor Bill Haslam signed SB 0142, which allows person with a valid handgun carry permit to transport and store a firearm or firearm ammunition in the permit holder’s privately-owned motor vehicle in public or private parking areas under certain conditions.  by Kara Shea and Sara Anne Quinn On Thursday, the […]

Phoenix bans sexual orientation discrimination

by Dinita L. James On February 26, the Phoenix City Council voted to amend its human relations ordinance to include lesbian, gay, and transgender persons as well as disabled individuals among the groups protected from employment discrimination. The 5-3 vote came after a nearly five-hour public hearing before an estimated 500 people in the city’s […]

OFCCP toughens rules on compensation audits

by David S. Fortney and Judith E. Kramer Effective February 28, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is changing its approach to compliance audits and enforcement proceedings related to how contractors pay their workers. The changes effectively open nearly every federal contractor’s actions, policies, and practices on compensation to […]

Survey shows employers staying course while exploring options on benefits

The health care reform law and high insurance costs are giving businesses plenty to think about, but most employers responding to a survey on employee benefits say their 2013 health insurance packages are close to what they offered in 2012. More than 2,000 employers participated in the survey from human resource and benefits information provider […]

Blogumentary

NBC just seems to know when it’s my scheduled turn to blog reactions to The Office. Rather than face my intense scrutiny and the inevitable backlash from all of my loyal followers (i.e., my mom), the network punted, airing a full hour of Parks & Recreation instead. I was a few episodes behind anyway, so […]

Discovering the perks of perks: Creative little extras can bring payoffs

Tammy Binford Imagine a workplace where employees are eager, engaged, motivated, and loyal. Now think of what an employer can do to create such employees. Part of the formula will focus on rewards, recognition, and even a little fun. When considering what perks to offer employees, the sky seems to be the limit. Paid time […]

Deep understanding of an organization leads HR to ‘seat at the table’

Human resources professionals have long sought a “seat at the table” that would elevate their professional status while providing crucial expertise to the C suite. Just how to gain that voice among an organization’s top leaders is an often-discussed topic. We asked Dr. Charles G. Capps, an associate professor of management at Lipscomb University in […]