Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Amazon.com updates it’s bestselling business book hourly. Here is a snapshot of what books were hot this morning — Monday, May 12. 1.The Post-American World. “This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else.” So begins Fareed Zakaria’s important new work on the era we are […]
A California court of appeals has ruled that an employee cannot recover punitive damages for the employer’s violations of state Labor Code provisions governing meal and rest breaks, pay stubs, and minimum wages.1 That’s because those Labor Code provisions include specific remedies, including penalties that are punitive in nature—and those are the only remedies available. […]
The gig economy has been heavily discussed in the media and in employment circles for several years now. Essentially, it involves the less-formal employment or contractor relationships between workers and companies, with workers typically working temporarily for one or multiple employers at a time with greater flexibility and independence.
Recent surveys of the profession show few surprises in what concerns HR. The surprises are in what doesn’t concern you as much. As fall is traditionally the time of year when businesses assess their positions and plan for their futures, we thought it might be a good time for a “state of HR” assessment. What […]
The Santa Cruz City Council has voted unanimously to adopt a minimum wage of $11 per hour with benefits or $12 without benefits. The living wage ordinance—the highest in the nation—would initially cover only full-time employees of the city and for-profit employers with city contracts. City officials hope to eventually extend the minimum wage to […]
Before terminating or taking any other adverse action against an employee, employers must consider not only whether the employee is in a protected category, but also whether the employee’s friends or family are, too. Lawsuits alleging discrimination or retaliation by association appear to be on the rise, an attorney warned attendees at the Society for Human Resource […]
Last year, the California Supreme Court made it easier for public employees to sue over job bias by ruling that they can bypass their employers’ internal grievance process and file a discrimination complaint directly with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). Now a California appeal court has clarified an issue left open […]
Employment law attorney Justin Pierce tackles the tough question of whether an employer should allow an employee to hang a “Happy Birthday, Jesus” sign in his office. Q Last year at Christmas, one of our employees, we’ll call him “Bob,” put up a small sign in his office that read “Happy Birthday, Jesus.” A non- […]
In a recent survey, employees saw their workplaces sadly lacking in organizational teamwork. Here are some ideas from a new BLR audio training program that your supervisors can use to build effective teams. Regular Daily Advisor readers know that we’ve recently been heavily involved in a project called the National Employee Attitude Survey (NEAS). The […]
If an employee makes unjustified complaints about wages and hours, you may be tempted to brand the person as a troublemaker. You might even take disciplinary action if the griping continues. But a new National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling cautions that even a one-employee protest can be a protected activity under federal labor law-landing […]