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7 Talent Management Trends Worth Watching

As the new year progresses, it’s a perfect time to reflect and reassess personally and professionally. Businesses use strategic planning and budgets to reflect that same thinking at an enterprise level. However, all too often those choices are rushed—and even forced—based on constraints and lack of time. More importantly, people tend to be considered last […]

Firing an Employee: Why You Should Never Act Alone

In yesterday’s CED, Hunter Lott of Please Sue Me fame offered his lawsuit avoidance tips. Today, his advice on legal exposure in 2011, plus an introduction to an upcoming event you won’t want to miss. First, specialized input. As we mentioned in yesterday’s CED, specialized members of the management team, like the HR manager, are in a […]

Bill Would Require Minimum Wage in Sheltered Workshops

For more than 70 years, the Fair Labor Standards Act has allowed employers to pay some workers with physical or mental impairments less than the federal minimum wage. H.R. 3086, introduced by Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) and Gregg Harper (R-Mo.) earlier this fall, would change that. HR 3086 would phase out special wage […]

The Electronic Time Bomb on Your Desk

by Albert L. Vreeland Recently, your job as Shepherd of All Things Employment became a lot more complicated (and legally risky) — for reasons you may not even be aware of. On December 1, 2006, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were amended to include specific provisions for handling electronically stored information. That may sound […]

Holiday Bonuses Result in Good Cheer — But Can Cause FLSA Overtime Problems

As the holiday season approaches, employers and employees are beginning to anticipate holiday bonuses. Whether they come in the form of material gifts, cash awards or other benefits, employers should be careful in providing them, because sometimes bonuses must be included in the employee’s pay rate. Although “improper bonus” cases are not common, they still […]

News Notes: Mervyn’s Sued For $111 Million For Unpaid Overtime

Employees who work at Mervyn’s Department Store have filed two lawsuits accusing the retail chain of coercing them into working up to 80 hours a week without overtime. One lawsuit, filed on behalf of 1,300 hourly “team coordinators,” claims they were forced to work “off the clock” through lunch and breaks and were not paid […]

Rules for providing rest breaks in California

Providing rest breaks in California is just as important as providing meal breaks, and failing to do so could prompt similar penalties if discovered. In fact, meal and rest period requirements have played a huge role in wage and hour litigation for more than 5 years now.

Benefits Professionals Share Best Practices and Trends

By Chris Ceplenski, BLR Managing Editor, News “The pendulum for benefits responsibility has swung back over to the employer.” “We saw a drastic rise in enrollment in our high deductible health plan (HDHP) when we renamed it an HSA plan.” “Benchmarking against your competitors is important, but don’t be a copycat.” “Eliminate the benefits-speak and […]