Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.
Do employees who oversee different teams within a company that perform the same job, in the same location and at the same time as other teams, fall into the category of an “executive” under the Fair Labor Standards Act? Recently several employees argued that their responsibilities were so standardized that they did not fall under […]
Unpaid internships can be mutually beneficial for students and employers: students receive invaluable workplace experience and employers benefit from the opportunity to begin training the next generation of talent. However, you must be aware of the distinction between paid and unpaid internships. Internships in the for-profit, private sector will most often be viewed as employment […]
Overtime laws in California differ from the federal laws. If you have employees in California, you need to know your overtime obligations. In a CER webinar titled “Exemption Audits in California: Practical Strategies for Conducting a Successful Self-Audit of Your Job Classifications,” Allen M. Kato outlined some overtime basics for us to help employers understand […]
What policies do you have? What policies do you need? What’s happening with policies in the real world? Let’s ferret out best practices; what’s working out there? For years, BLR® has surveyed HR and compensation/benefits professionals to find trends in policy and practice. We appreciate your participation in our series of brief, targeted surveys. Today’s […]
Government audits, participant lawsuits and the dreaded play-or-pay rule could heap liability and risk on employer plans, all as a result of the reform law that was just affirmed by a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court. Employers must take into account new liabilities when they move workers to part-time status or divert retirees into […]
Higher than normal temperatures and dry conditions have fueled significant numbers of fires this wildfire season, particularly in the Western United States. Wage and hour issues may be far from the first concern for state and local agencies and communities preparing for, or dealing with, wildfires, but it behooves savvy municipalities to think about possible […]
Special from Atlanta–SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition When people ask Hunter “Please Sue Me” Lott what he does for a living, he usually says he sells insurance.. “If I say, ‘I help companies stay out of court,’ they ask, ‘Are you a lawyer.’” “No, I’m HR,” I say. “That’s worse,” they say; “HR keeps me […]
Employees claiming FLSA retaliation may also seek compensation for emotional suffering. Although courts are divided over whether such damages are available, four federal circuit courts have ruled that the FLSA does permit such damages, and more federal district courts are adopting this view. These developments make it more important than ever that employers both pay […]
Hold formal safety meetings on a regular basis. Supplement those meetings with brief, informal sessions. Keep meetings to a reasonable length. Plan well in advance and have an agenda for each meeting. Make sure you have full management support for training efforts. Bring in managers from other parts of the facility and outside experts to […]
What happened In April 1990, “Kerry” was hired as a parole officer by the New York State Division of Parole. In February 2005, “Shannon,” a female area supervisor, was transferred to oversee the Queens, New York, office where Kerry worked. Kerry alleged that on three occasions between mid-April and mid-September 2005, Shannon sexually harassed her […]