Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Employers have a new health care reform deadline to add to their calendars. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury issued final regulations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that are intended to help: individuals easily understand their health […]
I’m a St. Louis Cardinal lifer so, for most Major League baseball fans out there, you probably assume I’m insufferable. (You may be right.) Still, don’t look for me to apologize that we’re in first place, have been for pretty much the entire season, and boast the best record in baseball. The postseason is upon […]
Natural disasters wreak havoc on all facets of a community. The death toll from fire, flood, wind, snow, and ice is the most obvious concern, but the property damage that can leave people homeless or dealing with serious damage causes problems long after the initial storm passes. Employers, too, have to deal with loss, damage, […]
A Texas printing company has paid over $100,000 for allegedly violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Investigators reported that the company used two different time clocks and were under contract by two separate staffing firms. An investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division’s Dallas District Office determined that the […]
As employers continue to ramp up their use of wellness incentives, employee resistance also is on the rise, recent studies suggest. While wellness programs in general enjoy broad public support (76 percent of respondents), a majority (62 percent) oppose requiring employees to pay more for health coverage if they do not participate, according to a […]
By Marisa Victor and Yael Wexler An employment contract can provide certainty and protection for both the employer and employee. But what happens when it comes time to renew it? A recent Ontario case shows what can go wrong when an employer offers an existing employee a revised contract in order to address performance or […]
“Ghosting” is a term that developed in the dating world to refer to a situation in which one person abruptly cuts off all communication with another person, avoiding person-to-person contact when they decide to move on. But, these days, “ghosting” is taking on an entirely new meaning—and new impacts—in another forum, the workplace.
December is often a time for office parties, gift exchanges, and general holiday cheer in the workplace, but the season also can bring claims of discrimination and harassment if employers aren’t mindful of a religiously diverse workforce. Legal hazards come in many forms. For example, non-Christians may feel discriminated against or harassed by all the […]
Journeyman painter Thelma Walker filed a sexual harassment and defamation lawsuit against the San Francisco housing authority and her former job site foreman. Over the next six months, the housing authority was smacked with court fines for repeatedly not responding to Walker’s discovery requests. Walker and the housing authority then tentatively agreed to a settlement […]
Some gay rights advocates are calling for “A Day Without a Gay” protest and boycott across the United States on Wednesday, December 10, to show opposition to California’s Proposition 8 and to show the power of the gay and lesbian community. Organizers are encouraging people to strike by “calling in gay” to work, taking the […]