Most Popular

HOT LIST: BusinessWeek’s Bestseller List

BusinessWeek ranks business books that are the most recent bestsellers and provides a short summary. 1. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? Do you feel that you are both a person who gets […]

Wage Deductions for Sickness Could Make You Ill

by Craig L. Olivo Q: An exempt employee was out for a week. He had eight hours of accrued sick time, which he used before coming in and working two unauthorized hours at the end of the week. Are we required to pay him for the whole week? A: Generally, under the Fair Labor Standards […]

Ask the Expert: Is it better to keep personnel files in a central location or on-site locally?

October 4, 2010 This is really a matter of company policy. Many companies maintain an official personnel file with copies of resumes, applications, offer letters, performance appraisals, training records, salary increases, etc. In addition, the official file should contain any contract or written agreement between the employee and the employer (such as a noncompete agreement), […]

Severance Agreements: Older Worker Who Signs Release Can Still Sue You; Supreme Court Rules

Once a terminated employeehas signed a release promising not to sue and has cashed theirseverance check, you probably think you are free from their legalclaims against you. In most cases, you’d be right. But you couldbe in for an expensive surprise if the employee is 40 years orolder and your paperwork isn’t perfect. That’s because […]

Less Employee Compensation Going to Wages

The share of employee compensation going to health benefits has risen substantially, while the share for wages has fallen, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a Menlo Park-headquartered nonprofit health policy organization. Kaiser’s Health Care Costs Snapshot report, “Wages and Benefits: A Long-Term View,” explains that health insurance premiums rose 78 percent between 2001 and […]

3 Paths To Better Training

Training is often perceived as a soft science. But to train better and to get more funding for training, consider doing it “by the numbers.” These days, business is increasingly ruled by numbers. But there are some things that can’t be quantified, right? Like how the human mind can be affected by training. Not so, […]

High Court Ruling on ‘Stock-Drop’ Could Chase Company Shares out of 401(k)s

A brief from the U.S. Solicitor General recommending that the U.S. Supreme Court hear a “stock-drop” class-action case could make it the most important ERISA litigation of the High Court’s current term. Employee benefits attorneys watching the case’s progress say a High Court decision could deter employers from offering employer stock as a 401(k) plan […]

Retaliation Claims: Employee Wins Half-Million Dollars For Backing Co-Worker’s Complaint; Preventive Measures You Can Take

Most employers are aware that it’s illegal to retaliate against an employee who complains about discrimination. But did you know you are also at risk if you discipline or fire someone who merely supports a co-worker’s bias complaint? A Los Angeles employer recently learned this costly lesson when it was hit with a big jury […]