Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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. […]
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
By Lisa K Loesel. Loans against a qualified retirement plan can go wrong in a variety of ways, exposing employers and workers to taxes and penalties. But employers and workers can avoid trouble if they remain aware of key factors to prevent the worst from happening. And even if potential violations occur, there are ways […]
The debate over how employers should handle time off for the Thanksgiving holiday is taking a new twist this year. While the last few holiday seasons have seen more retailers expanding Black Friday to include all or part of Thanksgiving day, this year the backlash is heating up as a number of major players gamble […]
Our management has asked me to explore the possibility of outsourcing substantial parts of our HR function. (They’re not singling us out—other functions are doing the analysis, too). How can we tell what to outsource, and to whom? — Tammy, HR director in Cupertino
We’re trying to revise our travel reimbursement policies, and we need some help. We’re trying to simplify. Can we pay a per diem? Meanwhile, we’d rather just pay employees a set amount more in salary and not hassle at all with receipts and vouchers for every little thing. I understand that there’s a case now […]
In his 3-decade career with Bosch Rexroth, Mike Bryan has trained nearly 770 apprentices and continuously demonstrated his support for developing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills among the next generation of workers. His efforts were recently recognized by the German American Chambers of Commerce (GACC), which presented Bryan with its Trainer of the […]
By Holly K. Jones, JD, Senior Legal Editor When the Roomba first hit the market it was one of those mythical things, to me—like hoverboards and self-driving cars and same-day Amazon delivery—about which I could only dream. But as the prices became more reasonable and the devices more sophisticated, I decided that, as a person […]
by Brandon Wiebe A second Canadian province, Manitoba, recently amended its Workers Compensation Act to create a rebuttable presumption that claims for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are work-related. But Manitoba’s law is novel in that it applies to all workers, regardless of occupation.
By Meghan Siket, JD Employers are prohibited from interfering with, restraining, or denying the exercise of, or the attempt to exercise, any right granted to employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). You are also prohibited from discriminating or retaliating against employees for exercising or attempting to exercise any FMLA right.