Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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.
In November 2024, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) upended 76 years of precedent, holding in Amazon.com Services LLC, 373 NLRB No. 136, that “captive-audience” meetings are per se unlawful under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Captive-audience meetings are mandatory meetings during regular, paid working time where an employer shares its views regarding unionization […]
It’s winter, and when the cold winds blow, blizzards, ice storms, and dangerous temperatures often disrupt business. Certainly, bad weather can hit at any time of year, so employers always need to understand their legal obligations. But an organization’s response should go beyond those requirements. Employers also need to know how to help their employees, […]
On November 15, 2024, in a significant ruling that will impact employers across the nation, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas struck down the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) new rule that would have required employers to increase the salary-basis threshold under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In light of […]
Is an HR investigation into discrimination admissible evidence? A recent case from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal appeals court covering Texas) declares the answer is “yes.” But as the expression goes, the devil is in the details. Read on. Claim of No Service Because of Race Sharnez Hager and her family […]
Even if an individual employee complies with the dress code, can she be asked to change clothes because she is too distractingly curvaceous? Can she be terminated for inappropriate social media activity, when similarly situated males were not? Was she terminated because she complained about discrimination and harassment, or because she posted risqué pictures while […]
Over the past year, numerous employers and their 401(k) plan fiduciaries have faced lawsuits regarding how forfeited employer contributions to their 401(k) plan are used. This wave of lawsuits began approximately a year ago when an employees’ law firm filed putative class action lawsuits raising this novel claim in California federal courts against multiple large […]
Good timing can mean the difference between success and failure, and waiting too late can cost you—as a transit employee discovered the hard way. Although this case comes from a different state, it’s still helpful when defending Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) claims in Texas. Chronic Serious Health Condition As a threshold matter under […]
With the holidays about to be in full swing and the end of the year near, visions of time-off requests, bonuses, and parties are likely dancing in employers’ heads. Getting any of those things wrong is a sure way to spoil the holidays, but a little planning and care will keep the work on track […]
This is part one of a two-part update on changes at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Part one discusses the regulatory changes OSHA made during fiscal year (FY) 2024. The most recent regulatory changes at OSHA have been the Employee Representative Walk-Around Rule (effective May 31, 2024), the Proposed Emergency Response Standard (published […]
Question: Our employees drive vehicles strictly for work purposes, but we don’t have a policy on such use. After employees received several speeding tickets, we’d like to introduce a policy that would allow management to deduct the cost of tickets from employees’ wages. Are we allowed to start introducing this type of payroll deduction? Answer: Employers […]