Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Tammy Binford Finally, it’s over. With the passing of Election Day, campaign ads have died down but emotions can still run high. If coworkers have engaged in heated political discussions at work, those passions can be counterproductive to the mission of the business. So the question for HR is “What now?” What can HR […]
An employer whose COBRA/leave policy did not align with a stop-loss policy’s terms continues to be on the hook for a COBRA qualified beneficiary’s medical claims that were rejected by the stop-loss insurer. The employer unsuccessfully appealed a lower court ruling that the claims were ineligible under the policy terms because they did not include […]
Employers may be reeling from what they see as swift and dramatic changes related to employment regulation. In recent months, they’ve found themselves dealing with new rules on union representation elections, an impending expansion of who is eligible for overtime, a more restricted view of the use of independent contractors, as well as an array […]
How do you deal with an employee who’s disruptive and can’t get along with co-workers? The obvious answer may be a warning or other discipline. But the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal says employees like these may have a mental disability protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and that instead of disciplining […]
Using social media in the workplace without causing legal headaches can be complex. But the simple fact that social media is entwined in our lives makes it hard to escape. There are many benefits to be had, but also many risks. How can employers strike a balance? "Social media – like LinkedIn, Facebook, and all […]
NBC trotted out a repeat — St. Patrick’s Day — last night. My colleague, Jaclyn West, wrote an excellent piece focusing on work-life balance when the episode originally aired back in March. Jaclyn’s post made me think about potential wage-hour issues that arise when employers demand long work days. It’s no secret that wage-hour litigation is a […]
by Dan Oswald I’m not a golfer, nor do I tend to watch golf on television, but I am aware that over the weekend, Jordan Spieth won the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. And with his victory came news of many of his other notable accomplishments: Spieth is just the fifth man, since the […]
In an important victory for employers that use bonus plans, the California Supreme Court has approved a retailer’s profit-based incentive plan that made deductions for a store’s workers’ compensation costs, cash and merchandise shortages, and other losses. In so ruling, the high court dismissed employee concerns that the plan violated various California wage and hour […]
by H. Juanita M. Beecher Contractors entering into federal contracts on or after January 1, 2017, must comply with the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) new regulations requiring them to provide workers 56 hours of paid sick leave a year. The regulations implement President Barack Obama’s Executive Order 13706, which was issued on September 7, […]
Employers have different ways of administering COBRA continuation coverage, as evident in a recent news article about a local candidate’s problem when he was found to owe a city government money after it paid some of his COBRA premiums. The Post-Standard reported Oct. 27 how Timothy Lattimore (R), former mayor of Auburn, N.Y. , elected […]