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Seattle’s new minimum wage ordinance takes effect April 1
by Valerie Hughes and Aurora Janke Seattle’s new minimum wage ordinance goes into effect April 1, meaning employers—regardless of size—must pay employees working in the city at least $11 per hour. Employers with 501 or more employees must pay a “minimum wage” of $11 per hour, while employers with 500 or fewer employees must pay […]
Tips for Minimizing Risk When Cutting Labor Costs
by Mark Wiletsky Although we’re beginning to see signs of an economic recovery, many organizations are still grappling with how to stay competitive in this challenging environment. Layoffs, furloughs, and other methods used to cut personnel costs are often part of the equation. But the savings gained by those cost-cutting measures can be lost if […]
Indiana adds veteran protection to Civil Rights Act
by Matthew A. Brown An amendment to the Indiana Civil Rights Act (ICRA) going into effect July 1 means employers should assess their policies and practices to ensure they don’t discriminate on the basis of an applicant’s or employee’s status as a veteran. Indiana House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1242 adds veteran status to the protected […]
Did Maryland Employer Violate the FLSA?
By Richard J. Morgan, JD The U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia) recently addressed a case in which two tipped employees disputed the pay they received from their employers.
Complaint on DOT Debit Card Program Could Affect Future QTFB Guidance, Part 1
A private company that provides paper transit vouchers to parts of the federal government for use in its qualified transportation fringe benefits has claimed that the U.S. Department of Transportation is implementing an electronic payment system that does not comply with IRS guidelines in a program that is intended to replace paper transit fare vouchers […]
Popular Wisdom May Not Match the True State of the Gig Economy
There’s quite a bit of buzz these days about the gig economy—and its growth. As it turns out, though, popular wisdom might not actually be that representative of the true state of affairs.
Cut Turnover, Build Retention: Experts Explain How to Do Both
Can you retain your best employees even as competition in the job market stiffens? Sure you can … if you know these turnover-reducing, retention-increasing techniques. When talk turns to turnover and retention, we’ve all heard the gloomy statistics. Of every 10 workers in your organization now, three will retire over the next 10 years. Out […]
The Quesadilla Claim
A T.G.I. Friday’s® (TGIF) waiter, “Russell,” was encouraged, but not required, by his employer to sample new menu items, so that he could make recommendations to customers. During a food sampling, the waiter choked while eating a quesadilla. He was taken to an emergency room, where it was determined that he had a perforated esophagus […]
Questions Top Performers Ask in Job Interviews
It’s common to think of interviews as one-sided. The interviewer—the one representing the company and making or influencing hiring decisions—asks a series of questions about the interviewee to gauge his or her level of knowledge, experience, and social and workplace skills, as well as his or her fit for the company and the position.