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.

Washington State Legalizes Same-sex Marriage; Will Others Follow Suit?

And then there were seven: Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) on Feb. 13 signed a measure making same-sex marriage legal in that state. Washington joins Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, Iowa and the District of Columbia as U.S. jurisdictions with that distinction. The Washington law goes into effect on June 7. The Washington […]

DOL Unveils $12 Billion 2013 Budget Request

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) fiscal year 2013 budget request continues many priorities emphasized in the previous year’s budget, such as the effort to combat worker misclassification, while ending or consolidating some programs aimed at helping women and veterans find jobs. The DOL’s 2013 budget request comes in at $12 billion. The 2012 request […]

California Joins With DOL to Fight Independent Contractor Fraud; Pacts Also Signed By 11 Other States

California is the most recent state to enter into a pact with the U.S. Labor Department aimed at cracking down the improper classification of employees as independent contractors. Nancy J. Leppink, deputy administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, and California Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su announced their recently signed memorandum […]

Labor Seeks New Funding to Boost FLSA, FMLA Enforcement in 2013

The Obama Administration’s proposed 2013 budget  includes funding to hire 92 additional Wage and Hour Division investigators. The budget would allocate $6.4 million to hire investigators to enforce the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, said Nancy Leppink, acting WHD administrator during a webchat on Monday. The funding would allow […]

The 4 Questions to Ask Before Changing to PTO

PTO (see yesterday’s Advisor) is attractive for many reasons, says attorney John P. Hagan, but there are critical questions to ask before switching over from a traditional approach. Hagan, a partner in the Dallas office of law firm Sarles & Ouimet, LLP, made his suggestions at a recent BLR webinar. Here are his four questions: […]

Fearing State Employee Liability, Delaware Douses Medical Marijuana Law

by Molly DiBianca and Michael P. Stafford Delaware’s medical marijuana program has been extinguished. According to the Delaware News Journal, Governor Jack Markell “has suspended the regulation-writing and licensing process for medical marijuana dispensaries — effectively killing the program.” The decision comes in response to a letter from U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III. The […]

PTO vs. Traditional: Plusses and Pitfalls

PTO plans, which eliminate distinctions between types of leave, do relieve HR of an administrative burden and the dreaded role of “absence police,” but there are some drawbacks, says attorney John Hagan. Absences, like terminations, can be voluntary or involuntary; however, unlike terminations the distinction between voluntary and involuntary absences is not typically determined by […]

EEOC to Hold Feb. 15 Meeting on Pregnancy and Caregiver Issues

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commissionwill hold a public meeting to discuss pregnancy discrimination and caregiver issues  on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) at agency headquarters, 131 M Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. In accordance with the Sunshine Act, the meeting is open for public observation of the Commission’s deliberations. At the meeting, […]