Tag: employees

The DOL’s New Overtime Rule and Unintended Consequences

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a new rule that requires anyone who makes less than $47,476 annually to receive overtime pay. When a colleague suggested I consider this topic for my blog, I was reluctant. I’m not an expert on wage and hour issues. We have many people much more qualified than […]

Avoid the Affinity Group Danger Zone

Employers of all sizes have generously supported so-called affinity groups for years as a natural extension of workplace diversity, culture, and inclusion efforts. Also known as networking, advocacy, diversity, focus or support groups, it’s estimated that nearly 90% of Fortune 500 companies have them. Their aim was, innocently enough, to facilitate networking and common interest […]

High Court Sends Birth Control Cases Back to Circuits

Rather than resolve a dispute over the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate, the U.S. Supreme Court on May 16 remanded the cases to appeals courts without ruling on the plaintiffs’ religious freedom arguments. The decision to remand seems due to Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, which left the court in a 4-4 conservative/liberal deadlock; leading observers […]

Conversation: The Original Operating System

To wrap up the week, we’ve got some insights on the power of conversation from Brady G. Wilson (www.bradywilson.com), cofounder of Juice Inc., a corporate training company that services organizations from Toronto to Los Angeles. This article is written by Brady, based on principles from his latest book, Beyond Engagement: A Brain-Based Approach That Blends […]

Uber settlement keeps independent contractor business model

Drivers for ride-hailing giant Uber will continue to be independent contractors under the terms of a settlement of class-action lawsuits in California and Massachusetts if the settlement receives court approval. The settlement, announced on April 21, will require the company to pay drivers an initial $84 million and possibly as much as $100 million. Despite […]

Rethink HR: A changing world means new people practices

by Brad Federman It’s time to rethink HR. It’s actually way past due. Globalization, millennials entering the workforce, a shift to contract and part-time labor, an increase in diversity, technology that encourages networking, and open communications are just a few of the signs that illustrate the shift in the workplace. HR should be at the […]

Per Liar Liar, performing background checks on minors can be major issue

Because I’m a lawyer and because my friends know I love movies, people frequently ask me to identify my favorite lawyer-related movies. My personal favorites are My Cousin Vinny, A Few Good Men, and Liar Liar. To the extent you agree or have lawyer-related movies you like as well, feel free to weigh in. As luck would have […]

What it takes to be an indispensable employee

by Dan Oswald The other day, a colleague passed along an article from Inc. magazine titled “35 Habits That Make Employees Extremely Valuable.” Whether you’re an employee trying to figure out how to make yourself indispensable to your employer or a manager looking for the right type of person for your team, this piece, written […]

Kinder, gentler Terminator: how to say ‘Hasta la vista’ to employees without getting sued

Terminator Genisys, the fifth installment in the wildly popular action film series, hits theaters this week. Over the last 30 years, the original Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, has transformed from a soulless assassin with no regard for others to a cyborg protector with a heart of gold (actually it’s mimetic polyalloy, but you get […]