Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
“FMLA was one of my favorite statutes when I was a plaintiffs’ lawyer,” says Attorney Tam Yelling. The law had a great intent, she adds, but it confuses employers. Yelling says that understanding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is simple: Two sentences sum up what employers need to do. Of course, Yelling has […]
by Anders Lindberg The I-9 process of verifying an employee’s identity and employment authorization can be, as W.C. Fields put it, “fraught with eminent peril.” Failure to comply with documentation, verification, and discrimination laws can result in stiff fines and penalties. And recent settlement agreements between employers and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicate […]
With the new year upon us, now is a good time to sit down and evaluate your pay grades, and pay-for-performance systems. Base pay grades aren’t a “set and forget” kind of thing. Employee salaries are fluid and always evolving. To remain competitive, base pay grades must be reviewed and adjusted periodically to keep track […]
This past Sunday was Father’s Day. Not surprisingly, it got me thinking about my dad. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do on Father’s Day? My dad, coincidentally, passed away almost 17 years ago to the day. So mid-June is a time when I tend to have him on my mind more than others. He […]
What’s happening with case management in the real world? How do you handle routine requests from your employees? What about not-so-routine requests, like complaints? What are your competitors up to? Help us find out! Please participate in our brief survey, and see how what you are doing stacks up against what other successful companies are […]
The descriptor “emotional” often has a negative connotation, especially in the workplace. It can conjure up images of someone who lacks control, loses his or her temper, and lacks sound judgment. But Kristi Hedges, in an article for Harvard Business Review, notes that this association—and the corresponding reluctance to show emotion in the workplace—can actually […]
"It’s time to put the performance review out of its misery," says consultant and professor Samuel Culbert. "This corporate sham is one of the most insidious, most damaging, and yet most ubiquitous of corporate activities." Culbert, a professor of management at UCLA, goes on to say that the performance review is "a pretentious, bogus practice […]
A recent appeals court opinion illustrates that an employer that acts “reasonably” often will be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that an employer had fulfilled its duties under the ADA by providing an effective accommodation to an employee with a disability, even though it […]
Finding the right employee can be extremely difficult, particularly in an economy with a historically low unemployment rate, when potential employees can often pick and choose between a number of labor-starved employers. Not only is it difficult—it’s expensive.
It’s always disappointing when a top employee leaves your company. But disappointment can turn to disaster—and a lawsuit—if your former star takes along a group of other key employees. That’s what happened in a recent case in which the California Court of Appeal clarified the obligations of existing employees and competitors regarding attempts to lure […]