Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Tammy Binford It’s hard to think of anything more sacred to employers than the doctrine of employment at will. Employers have long been advised to make sure their employees are aware of their at-will status, meaning that unless employees have an employment contract, they can be terminated for good reason, bad reason, or no […]
HR has been working for “a seat at the table” for decades, yet that goal remains elusive. Just being the department in charge of what’s often touted as a company’s most valuable resource – its people – isn’t enough on its own. Despite lofty talk, HR often is still seen as the personnel department, a […]
by Craig Olivo Q: We recently hired a temporary employee for a position that is classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). With the holidays quickly approaching, will we be required to pay the temporary employee for the holidays observed by our company? A: The FLSA doesn’t require payment for time that […]
by Charles S. Plumb Employers requiring employees to submit disputes to mandatory arbitration rather than filing a lawsuit got a boost from a November 26 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in an Oklahoma case. In the case, two employees of Nitro-Lift, a provider of services to oil and gas well operators, left their jobs to work […]
by Jeanine Poole New Hampshire’s requirements for employer safety programs are changing. Passed in June, House Bill 1587 goes into effect on January 1, 2013. The new law provides: Employers with 15 or more employees (formerly 10 or more employees) must have a written safety program filed with the New Hampshire Department of Labor (NHDOL). […]
Although the calendar shows winter is still a month away, employers would be wise to think now about how they’ll handle the challenges hazardous winter weather will bring. When snow, ice, or other extreme weather shows up in the forecast, employers’ thoughts turn to how weather might prevent employees from getting to work and how […]
by Kara E. Shea Many employers provide bonuses to employees this time of year, including everything from holiday turkeys to annual longevity pay. However, employers that play Santa must be mindful that under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), some bonuses may require additional overtime pay to nonexempt employees. Payments that affect overtime First, […]
by Dan Oswald I happen to live in the country music capital of the world, Nashville. So at least a couple of country stations have been programmed into my radio. This morning on my drive to the office, I was listening to one of the stations when a Travis Tritt song titled “It’s a Great […]
The IRS has announced the 2013 standard mileage rate to use in computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business use. Employers often use the rate to determine how much they will pay employees for using their personal vehicles for work-related purposes. The 2013 rate for transportation or travel expenses is 56.5 cents […]
by Rosalind H. Cooper Employers in many Canadian provinces have often looked to Ministry of Labour inspectors to provide guidance to assist them in complying with their obligations under various occupational health and safety statutes and regulations. Employers often request such advice because they believe that Ministry of Labour inspectors, who visit multiple workplaces and […]