Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Could software solve your diversity problems? The National Science Foundation thinks so. The federal agency awarded a $450,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant to the Boulder, Colorado, tech firm OptTek Systems, which plans to build a software application that can improve an organization’s ability to strategically plan and manage its workforce. Issues such as limited […]
A new Department of Labor study reveals that employers are generally less positive about the Family and Medical Leave Act than their employees. Although a majority of employers reported that the FMLA is easy to administer, the figure dropped sharply from 85% in 1995 to 63% in 2000. More employers in 2000 than in 1995 […]
Employers and plan administrators that offer health flexible spending accounts have been bracing themselves for Jan. 1, 2013. That’s when the $2,500 limit on health FSA salary reduction contributions provided for in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act kicks in. The IRS on May 30 issued Notice 2012-40, which provides guidance on the limit, […]
The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on October 13. 1. The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman. A columnisView this Postt for the New York Times analyzes 21st-century economics and foreign policy and presents […]
In just a few days, the East Coast was struck by an earthquake and Hurricane Irene. As one colleague put it: What’s next, a swarm of locusts? Hopefully, all that is next for businesses adversely impacted by these events is cleaning-up and recovering so that normal operations can resume as quickly as possible. Companies should […]
To avoid FLSA trouble, be careful of misclassifying employees, making improper deductions, denying breaks, and allowing nonexempts to work “off the clock.” Dell Computers built its success on operating numerous call centers, where customers could phone in and buy their systems direct from the manufacturer. Now the way Dell runs those centers is under attack. […]
Evelyn Coke, a domestic worker who provided companionship services in New York, sued her employer, Long Island Care at Home, Ltd. She alleged that the company didn’t pay her overtime wages, in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employer asked the court to dismiss the suit because Coke and workers like […]
by Teresa Shulda Halloween is a lot of fun for both kids and adults. When else can we wear inappropriate costumes, gorge on unlimited candy, and create a Walking Dead display in our front yard? But when the spectral mist of Halloween creeps into the workplace, things can get really scary. Here are some real-life […]
A former employee who claims his employer refused to rehire him becausehe took too much family leave can sue under the federal Family and MedicalLeave Act, according to a federal appellate court. Mark Duckworth had takena 52-day medical leave from his job at Pratt & Whitney, Inc., becauseof a punctured lung. When he was subsequently […]
The Bush administration has proposed rules that would help employers avoid liability for age discrimination when converting traditional pension plans to cash balance plans. We’ll explain what this is about.