Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Dinita L. James In the case of Collins v. Brewer, a federal judge from Alaska, deciding a case from Arizona, barred the state’s attempt to do away with benefits for same-sex domestic partners of state employees. Earlier this year, there was an argument on the case before a three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. […]
I’m up against an ethical brick wall here. I recently had an excellent candidate for one of our sales positions who was visibly pregnant. The hiring manager gave her a brief interview, then told me to reject her. He said, “Don’t send me any more pregnant women; they just get started and then they’re out […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has handed down an important new ruling that could open the floodgates for claims by employees charging that their employers mishandled retirement accounts. The new case involved James LaRue, who filed a lawsuit under ERISA—the federal law that governs employee benefits—claiming that his employer’s failure to follow his investment directions under […]
Health Care gets the bulk of the benefits attention these days, but what’s happening with other benefits, and what are your competitors offering? Sabbaticals? Free Food? PTO? Flex? Let’s find out what’s happening in the real world. For years, BLR has surveyed HR, compensation, and benefits professionals to find trends in benefits. We appreciate your […]
A federal disability policy agency sent a report and letter to the Obama administration on Aug. 23 urging a phase out of a controversial provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act that allows certified employers to compensate persons with disabilities at wages below the federal minimum wage. The FLSA section in question — section 14(c) […]
By Troy D. Thompson In fiscal year (FY) 2009, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received 11,134 charges involving claims of national origin discrimination ― an approximate 57 percent increase since 1999. Although the EEOC has not yet disclosed its statistics for FY 2010, all indications are that these claims continue to rise. Given that […]
Pay budget—always one of the most critical decisions of the year. What’s happening with pay budgets in the real world? How about bonuses? What are your competitors up to? Help us find out! Please participate in our brief survey and see how what you are doing stacks up against what other successful companies are doing. […]
Spring has sprung. The grass is green. The flowers are blooming. The trees are in full blossom. It’s that time of year again. Time for spring cleaning. Out with the old and in with the new. At least that’s my wife’s way of thinking.
We need to know whether we can treat new employees differently as far as the benefits we offer them. For example, our policy says that with under five years of service, employees get two weeks of vacation. However, when we hire experienced people, they want us to match the vacation they had at their old […]
Can we institute a use-it-or-lose-it vacation policy to encourage our employees to take their vacations? 400+ pages of state-specific, easy-read reference materials at your fingertips—fully updated! Check out the Guide to Employment Law for California Employers and get up to speed on everything you need to know. Use-it-or-lose-it vacation policies are not allowed in California. […]