Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

News Notes: More Employees Working Flexible Schedules

A new report from the U.S. Department of Labor finds that 28.8% of the nation’s full-time employees now have flexible work schedules that permit them to vary the time they start or end work—nearly double the number of flex-time workers a decade ago. Managers, professionals and sales employees were the most likely to be able […]

News Notes: New Health And Safety Guidance

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released two new useful publications to address workplace health and safety risks. First, OSHA has a new guide to help international business travelers avoid health risks. You can download the guide on the OSHA website. Second, OSHA has prepared a Heat Stress Card, which contains valuable information for […]

Employee Leave: Court Says FMLA Doesn’t Bar Changes To Benefits

In 1998, Wells Fargo Bank merged with Northwest Bank. Under Wells Fargo’s sick leave policy before the merger, employees earned one sick day a month, and unused sick days could be carried to the next year. At the time, employees also earned a certain amount of paid vacation days a year, which could be carried […]

Health Benefits: Good-Faith Effort Satisfies Employer’s Obligation To Notify Terminated Employee About COBRA Rights

Not giving workers proper notice of their COBRA rights can have potentially expensive consequences for employers—including having to pay an employee’s uncovered medical bills, attorneys’ fees and penalties. But what happens if you do everything right—and yet the employee never receives the COBRA notice you sent out? A federal appeals court decision looks at this […]

Workers’ Compensation: When You Can Terminate An Injured Employee’s Health Benefits; 3 Guidelines To Follow

Several years ago, the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board ruled that it’s illegal to terminate an injured worker’s health benefits unless you can show a legitimate business reason for doing so. But now the board has ruled that you can cut off health benefits for an employee out on workers’ comp leave so long as […]

Wage And Hour: $10 Million Settlement For Employees Who Weren’t Paid For Donning And Doffing Protective Gear; Guidelines To Follow

Although it may seem obvious that you have to pay employees for all the hours they spend on their job duties, employers commonly violate this rule. In recent years, a string of employers—including Nordstrom, Taco Bell and meat processor Monfort Inc.—have been hit with lawsuits for not paying workers for “off-the-clock” time. And now a […]

Workers’ Compensation: Employee Harmed By Workplace Gossip About Her Personal Life Not Entitled To Benefits, But Caution Still Required

Lunchroom gossip is common in most workplaces, and when it’s malicious, it can damage relationships and affect morale. But can it also create work-related injuries that employers are on the hook for? We’ll tell you why a California appeals court has ruled that one workplace gossip victim was not entitled to workers’ comp benefits—but why […]

Hiring Workers: Employers Fined For Illegally Checking Green Cards; Understanding Your I-9 Obligations

Although you’re required to determine the legal status of all workers you hire, you can get hit with discrimination complaints and fines if you ask for excessive documentation or single out particular groups, such as immigrants. And a spate of employer prosecutions by the federal Department of Justice for violation of a little-known rule involving […]