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New Tennessee law ‘bans the box’ for state government jobs

Tennessee has joined the list of states passing some form of “ban the box” legislation with the passage of Senate Bill 2440. Governor Bill Haslam signed the measure on April 14. Many states, counties, and cities across the country have joined the ban-the-box movement by prohibiting job applications that require applicants to check a box […]

Employee Engagement

How to Build Employee Engagement with Your Mission

It’s hard to overstate the importance of genuine employee engagement. Employees who are engaged at work often work harder and smarter; encourage others to do the same, whether by word or deed; are less likely to leave for a different job; and may even act as brand ambassadors, even while not on the clock.

Clip[pers] his tongue!

This past week the biggest story in the NBA was not the excitement of the first round of the playoffs, but the comments L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling allegedly made to his girlfriend. In an audiotape released Friday by TMZ, a man (allegedly Sterling) is heard chastising his girlfriend for associating with black people and […]

Calculating overtime for employees

Employers That Ignore Overtime Eventually Pay the Price

First, employers must determine whether a nonexempt employee has accumulated enough hours worked to become entitled to overtime pay. Now, let’s assume that the employee has worked enough hours and the issue is how much overtime must be paid. Mastering HR Report: Overtime Count on me Normally, calculating overtime is a pretty simple mathematical exercise […]

Criminal Records of Applicants and Employees: New Case Points Out Danger of Asking About Arrests and Convictions; What You Can and Can’t Ask About Criminal Records

What You Can and Can’t Ask About Criminal Records As the accompanying story highlights, you could be hit with big damages for asking illegal questions about a person’s criminal record. To help you steer clear of trouble, the following language can easily be modified for use in your application forms or when interviewing prospective or […]

DOL Provides Crucial New Information on Lawyer Referral Program

by Leslie Stout-Tabackman and David Fortney, Fortney & Scott, LLC This article arises from comments on the “Bridge to Justice” program by U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Solicitor Patricia Smith during the panel discussion “The Obama Administration’s Enforcement of the Wage and Hour Laws” at the Practicing Law Institute’s (PLI) “Managing Wage & Hour Risks […]

Keep That Travel Budget Tight: Feds Issue Per Diems for FY 2012

Policymakers may debate the federal government’s overall spending habits, but federal employees have long had restrictions on how much they can be reimbursed for travel expenses, for example. And each year, the “per diem” travel reimbursement rates are adjusted. In fact, the feds have released per diem rates, adjusted for inflation, for fiscal year 2012, […]