Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
According to an analysis by benefits consulting firm Watson Wyatt, the number of large employers that offer only defined contribution/401(k) plans—and not traditional pension plans—is way up. In 2005, 36 percent of Fortune 100 companies offered 401(k) plans only (not in combination with a traditional pension plan), up from 25 percent in 2004 and 17 […]
Suppose employees who must be in shape for their jobs play a game of pickup basketball to cut loose after work. They figure it’s a good way to stay fit for their physically demanding positions, and it is. But does that mean that if someone gets injured in the game, workers’ comp benefits will kick […]
Thomas Davenport worked for Michael Faeth Cleaners (MFC) under its contract with Camp Pendleton to dry-clean military clothing. He lived in a hotel on the base and MFC paid for his room and board. One day, while Davenport was cooking in his hotel room, a grease fire started and Davenport was burned on his arms, […]
Every day, thousands of employers learn that one or more of their employees has been called up for jury duty. But do you know your rights and responsibilities vis-à-vis an employee’s jury duty? Here’s a quick primer.
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 […]
How long should I keep HR records?
The U.S. Department of Labor has revised the poster that employers are required to post in the workplace to inform employees of their rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). USERRA sets out employment reinstatement and benefits rights for service members, and it applies to all employers regardless of size, including […]
A group of our employees has asked us to sponsor a softball team this spring. Management is all for it, but asked me to dig a bit into what problems might arise. Can you help? Are there workers’ comp issues? Liability if someone gets hurt? And what about alcohol?
We’re considering moving to a Paid Time Off (PTO) program instead of our current separate bundles of vacation, sick time, and personal leave, and we have a bunch of questions. When companies make this switch, do they just add up the number of days and then lump them all together? Impose any restrictions on taking […]