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New FCRA forms for background checks

by Kara E. Shea Do you use a third-party service to conduct background checks on job applicants or employees? If so, then you should take note of the new forms you are required to use for that purpose, effective January 1. The “new” forms originally were issued last year but had to be revised because […]

Employee Leave: Court Says FMLA Doesn’t Bar Changes To Benefits

In 1998, Wells Fargo Bank merged with Northwest Bank. Under Wells Fargo’s sick leave policy before the merger, employees earned one sick day a month, and unused sick days could be carried to the next year. At the time, employees also earned a certain amount of paid vacation days a year, which could be carried […]

Congress Members Introduce More Paid Sick Leave Legislation

U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut) and U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) introduced legislation yesterday that would guarantee paid sick leave for employees infected by the H1N1 virus (also known as “swine flu”). The legislation would take effect 15 days after being signed into law but would end after two years. According to Dodd and DeLauro’s […]

Train Your Supervisors to Be Teambuilders

Workplace teams can do wonders, but only if they’re led by a “resourceful leader.” A new program trains your supervisors to be just that. Recently, Ford Motor Company ended production of the Taurus. Over a 21-year run, some 7 million units were produced. It was a very popular car. But the Taurus will also be […]

Survey Report: What’s Really Happening with Telecommuting, Flextime, Dress

By Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR Just My E-pinion For years, BLR® has surveyed compensation and benefits professionals. This year, we have expanded our program with a series of brief, targeted benefits surveys. In today’s Advisor, we’ve got the results of the recent Telemarketing, Flextime, and Dress Code survey. What are other organizations doing in these […]

DOL issues proposed rule on $10.10 minimum wage for federal contractors

U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez announced a proposed rule on June 12 that will raise the minimum wage for workers on federal service and construction contracts to $10.10 per hour. The proposed rule implements the executive order President Barack Obama announced on February 12. The proposed rule provides guidance and sets standards for […]

Attorney Blasts DOL’s ‘Gotcha Approach’ to Workplace Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division’s (WHD) recent enforcement efforts represent a flawed approach that assumes incorrectly that employers are deliberately violating the law, according to David Fortney, cofounder of Fortney & Scott, LLC, in Washington, D.C., who testified before a U. S. House of Representatives subcommittee November 3. Fortney, editor […]

‘Let-it-all-hang-out’ Diversity Training

Most organizations these days believe that "diversity" produces better results. But things get tricky when it comes to diversity training. It’s easy to do significant legal damage, especially with "let-it-all-hang-out" sessions . One of the favorite moves of diversity training facilitators is to ask employees to drop all pretenses, and just go ahead and express […]

Family Leave: Absences Due To Colds And Flu May Be Covered; 3-Point Leave Compliance Checklist

When employees call in sick and say they’ll be out for a few days with a cold, you may not give it much thought. But you probably need to pay more attention-especially if absenteeism is a problem in your organization-because a recent U.S. Department of Labor opinion suggests that workers’ time off could qualify as […]