Tag: HR

Comp/HR Managers: Stop Asking for a ‘Seat at the Table’

Segal, a partner with Duane Morris law firm in Philadelphia, offered his tips for dealing with the C-suite at SHRM’s Employment Law and Legislative Conference, held recently in Washington, DC. 1. Stop Asking To Be At Table Asking only reinforces the perception of your subordinate role, Segal says. Instead, demonstrate why you should be at […]

Backburner Job Descriptions? Don’t Even Think About It

The California Employment Law Letter (CELL). is written by Mark I. Schickman, and Cathleen S. Yonahara, both attorneys at the law firm of Freeland Cooper & Foreman LLP in San Francisco. Defining Essential Job Functions Most employers use some form of job description, but many are cumbersome documents that have little practical value because they’re […]

Morale’s Role in Accommodation Decisions

Yesterday, we looked at the first half of attorney James Brown’s “Top 10” tips for complying with California’s disability bias laws. Today, the rest of the list—plus an introduction to a valuable new resource that will quickly become your indispensable guide to California’s complicated workers’ comp laws.

Remember the FSA Grace Period Rules!

Employers can give employees up to 2½ months after the end of the plan year to spend unused money in their flexible spending accounts (FSAs). Since so many plans have a calendar-year  basis for their plan years, many employers and plan administrators that chose to grant the grace period are handling claims from last year […]

GAO Recommends Stepping Up Retirement Education Efforts to Small Businesses

Small businesses that seek to improve their retirement plans should have access to more information from the federal government. That is the recommendation of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which in a recent report steers clear of advocating bold moves and suggests that the federal government improve what it’s already doing in order to better […]

Bonuses Always Included in Overtime, Except …

The FLSA provides for several narrow exemptions from the requirement that bonuses be included in an employee’s regular rate of pay. The onus is on the employer to prove that a payment meets one of the exemption requirements. The exemptions include: Gifts, or payments in the nature of gifts, made at Christmas time or on […]

Bonuses and Overtime—One of the Most Frequent Failures in Comp

Bonuses Included in Overtime Calculations? Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), bonus payments are divided into discretionary and nondiscretionary types. Nondiscretionary bonuses are included in an employee’s regular rate of pay for the purpose of determining overtime, while discretionary bonuses are not included in an employee’s regular rate of pay to determine overtime. […]

Immigration Enforcement: Are You in Compliance with Federal Immigration Law?

This is a serious issue; various government agencies have started to coordinate their efforts as they search for unauthorized workers. The smallest mistake in your paperwork or policies could lead to hefty fines and costly lawsuits. With the latest immigration crackdown under way, it’s crucial for you to make your I-9 administration run smoothly and […]

Four Metrics ‘Gotchas’—Blindsided in the C-Suite

Greene, a member of the Ann Arbor, Michigan, office of the law firm Dykema Gossett, and director of the firm’s Employment Law Department, offered his tips at BLR’s recent Employment Law Update in Las Vegas. Gotcha #1. Different Interpretation of Results Say you have submitted statistics showing that retention has improved. Your stats are unassailable—checked […]

40 Metrics—And Not a One Interesting to Management

There is no single set of metrics that fits all companies, Greene says. You need to step back and find out what management really needs. You’re looking for a few strategic, relevant metrics, he says. Greene is a member of the Ann Arbor, Michigan, office of the law firm Dykema Gossett, and is director of […]