Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
We’ve been struggling with keeping production up because of employee vacations. So instead of trying to fight vacation schedules, we want to start shutting down for a week in December and again in July and making everyone take vacation during those weeks. Are there any laws about doing this or any problems that you foresee? […]
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 […]
An increasing number of our employees are registering with domestic partners. Can an employee take kin care leave to spend time with his or her domestic partner?— Stephen D., HR Manager in Walnut Creek
We’re having problems with people coming back from FMLA/CFRA leave. Two particular situations worry us. In one case, the manager says, “I’ve redistributed the work and there’s no job anymore.” And in the other, the manager says, “We’ve hired a temp who is much better—we don’t want the person back.” Don’t we still have to […]
By Rachel Ravary of McCarthy Tetrault and Brian P. Smeenk, formerly with McCarthy Tetrault When you send an employee to work in Canada, what company should be named as the employer? Your U.S. company? A Canadian subsidiary or affiliate? Perhaps your parent company? Why is this important? It’s important to be clear about which company […]
We’ve experienced a lot of turnover in the past two years—many employees have decided to quit and move on to other companies. On an employee’s last day, I meet with him or her to go over final paperwork, benefits, COBRA, etc., but I think we should also interview the departing employee to find out why […]
The best way to fight age discrimination lawsuits isn’t before a jury, but with preventive practices and proactive strategies that keep you out of court in the first place. The California Employer Advisor’s Special Report, “The Complete Guide to Understanding and Preventing Age Bias in the Workplace,” gives you information on what constitutes age discrimination […]
A new U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rule gives employers some relief regarding their ability to reduce or eliminate retirees’ healthcare benefits once they become eligible for Medicare. Such a reduction or elimination will not violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the federal statute that prohibits age-based discrimination, the new rule states. […]