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North Dakota eases PTO payout rules

by Lisa Edison-Smith Because of new legislation taking effect August 1, private-sector employers in North Dakota will find it easier to avoid paying out unused paid time off (PTO) or vacation time when employees quit. Under the old law, an employer was required to pay a departing employee for any PTO or vacation time that […]

Responsibilities of the DOL

Established in 1913, the Department of Labor (DOL) has legal responsibility over matters related to employment. On their website today, they state their mission[i]:

New guidance signals tougher stance on independent contractor classification

A new interpretation of language in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the latest effort in the government’s fight against what it sees as troubling misclassification of employees as independent contractors. On July 15, David Weil, administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD), released Administrator’s Interpretation 2015-1 […]

A Coveted Employee Benefit that Actually Saves You Money

Telecommuting continues to grow year after year, despite some high-profile stories to the contrary (such as Yahoo!’s decision a couple of years ago to eliminate telecommuting options). In fact, some experts predict that a whopping 30 percent of workers in industrialized countries will be telecommuting by 2019!

Law or no law, paid sick leave generating buzz among employers

Love it or hate it, paid sick leave is an idea gaining momentum across the country. A handful of states and local governments have passed laws in the last five years guaranteeing the leave for a good many private-sector workers.  Connecticut blazed the trail by enacting a law in 2011 covering “service workers” that went […]

How Soon Can a Worker Return to Work After Heat Illness?

Yesterday’s Advisor busted some myths about heat-related illness; today, we’ll look at some factors affecting an employee’s ability to return to work following a heat illness incident. Protecting workers from sweltering temperatures is a critical issue during the months of July and August—and OSHA is ramping up its awareness and enforcement efforts this year. Be […]

‘Trans’ Woman—When Does ‘He’ Become ‘She’?

In yesterday’s Advisor, BLR® Legal Editor Jasmin Rojas, JD, used “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star “Caitlyn” (formerly Bruce) Jenner’s recent reintroduction of herself as a transwoman as a jumping-off point for a discussion of transgender discrimination. In today’s Advisor, Rojas offers practical tips for employers.