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wage

Alabama Minimum Wage Law Preemption Upheld (For Now)

The dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the Alabama Uniform Minimum Wage Law was upheld today by the full U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Alabama). In 2016, the state legislature enacted the statute to preempt any attempts by local governments to set higher minimum wage rates at the city or county level.

Legal Cannabis Spurs Demand for Certain Skill Sets

Just a few years ago, it would have been almost unheard of for someone to list the ability to grow, identify, or recommend different strains of cannabis as a job qualification, but the times are a changin’!

Union

Employer Actions During Unionization

Employers often dread the idea of unionization among employees, perhaps fearing that the employees will have unreasonable demands or will go on strike. Some employers even actively work to discourage unionization activities among employees—but doing so can be illegal.

Train Supervisors to Manage Challenging Employees

The objective of the following role-playing exercise is to review strategies for managing challenging employees effectively. Instruct trainees to choose a partner and role-play each of the following situations. For the first role-playing exercise, one person takes the role of the supervisor and the other, the role of the employee. Then, for the second, switch […]

Wal-Mart, DOL Reach Agreement for $5M+ Settlement Over FLSA Violations

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will pay almost $5.3 million in penalties, damages and back wages for overtime violations at stores nationwide, the U.S. Department of Labor said on May 1. According to the agency, 4,500 vision center managers (VCMs) and asset protection coordinators (APCs) at Wal-Mart Supercenters, Wal-Mart Discount Stores, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club Warehouses were […]

Will Robo-Advisers Invade Your Defined Contribution Plan?

The term “robo-adviser” is used to describe a wide range of digital advice and technology solutions. But while robos have been touted as the wave of the future, there’s no denying that retirement investors still see value in the expert advice of human advisers. There may be potential benefits for defined contribution (DC) plans to […]

Religious Time-Off Requests: Accommodation vs. Productivity and Fairness

Despite a trend toward employers embracing flexibility in the workplace as a way to improve work-life balance, most employers have expectations related to their employees’ schedules. In some workplaces, rigid schedules aren’t necessary as long as the work gets done. In others, shifts are firm and when someone needs time off, a request is made […]

Bridging Skills Gaps at Scale: The Power of Training Partnerships

A recent McKinsey report found that 87% of employers anticipate or are currently encountering shortages in necessary skill sets. Add to that, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are rendering certain human capabilities obsolete, and we’re experiencing a concerning number of job losses across industries. These changes have created a disparity between the required skills […]