Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Lorene Novakowski Employers are often tasked with creating systems to reduce employee theft or fraud. Such systems can include many things including credit checks on potential employees. Recently, Mark’s Work Wearhouse in Alberta was stunned to learn that such credit checks weren’t permissible in the circumstances — even when a number of other measures […]
By Maggie LeBato, JD A recent case decided by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans (which covers Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) serves as good guidance for hospitality and restaurant industry employers with tipped employees.
by John Phillips Here we go again. First, cooking queen Paula Deen. Now, NFL player Riley Cooper. The two situations are different, but both involve use of the N-word. For Deen, the question was whether, at some point in the past, her use of the N-word and her consideration of having black employees dress up […]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the May jobs report last week, which announced that the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.6% and there were 75,000 jobs added. How does small business hiring stack up against the BLS findings?
Postcards are designed to provide a brief message, but it will be interesting to learn if such brevity is sufficient to adequately notify an individual of COBRA continuation coverage rights — particularly when the law identifies at least 14 content requirements for COBRA election notices. In a recent court case, an employer/plan administrator faced with […]
By Sharon McKnight SPHR, BLR Compensation Specialist If you’ve been assigned to “figure out compensation” then you probably feel like I did about a decade ago. I didn’t even know where to begin, much less what needed to be done. Luckily, I worked for a subsidiary of a large corporation with a very knowledgeable compensation […]
California noncompete agreements are basically void. California’s legislature routinely passes its own version of federal laws, often with crucial differences that can trip up multistate employers. Noncompete agreements are one such topic. While most states do not give employees protection (or only do so by limiting the scope of these agreements), they’re generally not allowed […]
By Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR Just My E-pinion LOGO Our ongoing BLR/HR Daily Advisor Employee Fringe Benefit Survey Series recently queried readers about disability and group insurance. Seventy-seven percent of respondents offer short-term disability, and 82 percent offer long-term disability. Meanwhile, 5 percent offer group auto insurance, 5 percent offer group homeowners’ insurance, and 13 […]
I’m embarrassed to say that my company does not have an employee handbook of any kind, and I think it’s high time we got one together. Any tips for us? — HR Professional in Orange County
Implants — spinal fusion; as well as hip, knee and shoulder replacements — have emerged as major price problems today. Costs are up and so is utilization, which explains the cost surge health plans are undergoing for these procedures, according to three attorneys from The Phia Group in Braintree, Mass., who spoke in a Jan. […]