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.

Worst Mistake #3—Missing Basic Wage/Hour Requirements

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered the first two “Worst Mistakes Managers Make.” Today, the third worst mistake, plus an introduction to a very effective 10-minutes-at-a-time training system for managers and supervisors. Worst Mistake #3—Basic Wage/Hour Stumbles Employees will tolerate a lot, but start messing with their paychecks, and there will be trouble, guaranteed. Many wage/hour […]

California Minimum Wage: 2009 – Present

We get a fair number of questions about the minimum wage in California, so we felt it was worth a mention that it’s been $8 per hour since January 1, 2008 and remains there now. Don’t forget that some cities throughout the state impose their own, higher minimum wage rules (in San Francisco, for example, […]

Profit at the Bottom of the Ladder

In her book Profit at the Bottom of the Ladder: Creating Value by Investing in Your Workforce, Canadian researcher Jody Heymann analyzes hundreds of interviews with front line employees to C-suite executives and concludes that your company can profit more from improving worker conditions than cutting wages, benefits, and other workforce expenses. As an example […]

Consider Extra Harassment Training Before Hiring Teens

Summer is upon us, and that means an influx of seasonal teen workers at many workplaces throughout the state. You may have already looked into the special safety rules for these workers, as well as the restrictions on the hours they can work, but there’s another key issue you may not have considered: sexual harassment.

3 Worst Mistakes Managers and Supervisors Make

They say the perfect business has no managers, no supervisors, and no employees. Unfortunately, your business isn’t perfect, and you have to deal with managers and supervisors who will make today’s “worst mistakes” if you don’t train them. Here are the worst mistakes managers make: Worst #1—Failure to Be Honest in Performance Management Supervisors and […]

The FMLA/CFRA Designation Notice Requirement

Yesterday, we looked at the first three phases of family leave notice you’re required to provide your employees under the FMLA guidelines. Today, the fourth, plus an introduction to a comprehensive, fully updated resource on leaves — specifically for California employers — you’ll turn to again and again.

Religious Accommodation Q & A—Undue Hardship, Dress, Holidays

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered the tricky ground of religious accommodation. Today, a Q&A on hardship, dress, and holidays, plus an introduction to a unique, checklist-based audit system. What Costs Equate to Undue Hardship? Employers need not incur more than minimal costs to accommodate an employee’s religious practices. For example, infrequent or temporary overtime payments […]

Required Notices for FMLA/CFRA

As with other organizations covered by the Family Medical Leave Act, California employers are legally required to inform employees of their family leave rights. Here are the details of how you must go about doing so.

U.S. Supreme Court Building

Supreme Court: Arizona Immigration Law That Targets Businesses Is Valid

Thursday, May 26, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Legal Arizona Workers Act (Act), an Arizona employment law that allows the state to sanction employers that knowingly or intentionally employ “unauthorized aliens.” The first provision of the Act punishes certain employers that hire unauthorized aliens by suspending or revoking their business licenses. The second provision […]