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Thanksgiving Brings Workplace Family Responsibilities Concerns … and Lawsuits!

This year, while you’re thinking about families, think about the Workplace Family Responsibilities movement too. Thanksgiving is traditionally a time of emphasis on the family, and for recalling that wonderful Norman Rockwell painting of several generations of a family, healthy and at leisure, sharing turkey and all the trimmings. The real picture of family life […]

HOT LIST: BusinessWeek’s Paperback Bestseller List

BusinessWeek ranks paperback business books that are the most recent bestsellers and provides a short summary. 1. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Author Malcolm Gladwell says snap judgments deserve careful consideration. 2. The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. Author Thomas L. Friedman says globalization is great — […]

How Can Wage/Hour Bring Us Down? How Hard Is It?

Yesterday’s Advisor featured common—and egregious—wage/hour missteps; today, four more, plus an introduction to the simple-to-use, popular guide that answers all your FLSA questions. [Go here for failures 1 to 3] 4. Providing inaccurate or falsified payroll records to the government Obviously, providing falsified records is not a wise practice. However, many submitted records are merely […]

Blackberries at the Beach: Are Exempt Employees the New Wage Slaves?

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady BLR’s founder and CEO explores the “Blackberries at the beach” phenomenon—the expectation of 24/7 availability even when on vacation. Do nonexempts need to be paid? Are exempts modern day wage slaves? At BLR’s last Employment Law Update conference, several speakers talked about the issue/problem/phenomenon of the “BlackBerry® at […]

Is Obesity a Disability? Jury’s Still Out, but It’s a Serious Matter

Even though there’s no definitive rule on whether obesity is a disability under the amended, more employee-friendly Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you should be careful about how you treat overweight and obese employees. One in every three Americans age 20 and up was obese between 2007 and 2008, and about the same percentage was […]

Federal Defense of Marriage Act Found Unconstitutional … Again

Employers with employees who seek coverage under their benefit plans for their same-sex spouses would be justified in wondering exactly what they should do under federal law. The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is still in force, but the Obama administration will not enforce or defend it. And now another court has found it […]

Tool of the Week: White-Collar Exemptions Report

Are you classifying your white-collar workers correctly? Are you sure? Getting it wrong can trigger costly penalties and fines. In our exclusive Special Report, “White-Collar Overtime Exemptions Are Revised–and Could Mean Higher OT Costs for You,” we explain what you need to know in light of the recent revisions to the FLSA. We also provide […]

Nappers Respond—’Bravo!’ and ‘You’ve got to Be Kidding!

By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR Editor, HR Daily Advisor Four weeks ago our e-pinion featured tips for napping at work. Our readers responded quickly. Two brief responses sum up the views on napping: 1. “We do not permit napping. You’ve got to be kidding me!” 2. “Bravo! I love your topic—it helps me feel better […]

Many Implications for Employers in Senate Health Care Reform Bill

Read the latest news on health care reform efforts in Congress and how they will affect employers In a 60-39 party-line vote, U.S. Senate Democrats voted last night to begin full debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590), a comprehensive 2,074-page health care reform bill. The legislation, which Senate Majority Leader […]

Governor Daniels Signs “Bring Your Gun to Work” Bill Into Law

On March 18, Governor Mitch Daniels signed into law a bill allowing most employees in the state to bring weapons onto their employer’s property as long as the weapons are kept out of plain sight in locked vehicles. The bill will take effect July 1, 2010. In the signing statement accompanying the bill, Governor Daniels […]