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Rhode Island’s temporary caregiver leave law takes effect January 1

by Timothy C. Cavazza As of January 1, 2014, Rhode Island’s temporary disability insurance program will be expanded to cover employees taking temporary caregiver leave. Leave will be available to employees “to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, or to bond with a new child.” An employee who is […]

New California law grants domestic workers overtime pay

by Cathleen S. Yonahara A new California law taking effect January 1, 2014, grants overtime pay for at least the next three years to domestic workers who are personal attendants. Under old state law, “personal attendants” are exempt from statutory overtime and meal and rest break provisions, but they are not exempt from minimum wage […]

4 Reasons Your Top Talent Is Thinking About Leaving

Chou, who is senior practice leader, compensation, at WorldatWork, offered his tips at WorldatWork’s Total Rewards 2013 Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia. Why Key Talent Leaves Employers are always concerned about retaining top talent, says Chou, and most are getting a little more concerned as the economy brightens. However, the truth is that the job […]

New York law on unemployment taxes takes effect January 1

by Colin Leonard and James Rooney A new law going into effect on January 1, 2014, will increase New York employers’ contributions to the state’s unemployment compensation program. Earlier this year, legislation was enacted in response to the insolvency of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and the state’s need to repay $3.5 billion borrowed from […]

Failing to Track All FMLA—4 Hazards

It is generally in your best interest to capture all absences that are Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)‐related, says consultant Kristi McKinzey, PHR. She offers four common hazards employers face when they don’t track all absences. McKinzey, a consultant with The Robert E. Miller Group in Kansas City, Missouri, was joined by a colleague, attorney […]

Special from the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium in Las Vegas Subject: Practical Tools for Supervisory Training

training improves employee morale and productivity AND lessens the likelihood or severity (cost) of lawsuits, says attorney Franck Wobst. That’s a good return on investment. Wobst, who is a partner with Porter Wright in Columbus, Ohio, made his suggestions at the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, held recently in Las Vegas. New supervisors and managers need […]

Give the Gift of ZZZs

Nearly 70 percent of respondents to a BLR poll believed that taking a nap during their shift would make them more productive workers. However, many workplaces—assuming they would allow naps—may not have a suitable place for employees to sleep. There have been some extravagant products we reported on, like the EnergyPod—a reclined pod-like chair that […]

Minding Employees’ Hearts During the Holidays

Holiday parties can be a great way to show your employees’ you appreciate them and inspire a sense a camaraderie at your company, but the gathering can also bring forward a host of HR issues related to alcohol, religious issues, or even sexual harassment. A new infographic looks at a—perhaps underestimated—threat at holiday office parties, […]

Tis’ the Season for Peculiar Presents

Twenty-two percent of workers plan on exchanging gifts with coworkers this holiday season, while 21 percent are buying a gift for their boss, according to a new survey. Now for the strange part—Respondents were asked to share the most unusual gifts received from coworkers. Here are a few odd gifts:

Washington, D.C., closer to $11.50-per-hour minimum wage

The Washington, D.C., City Council on December 17 unanimously approved raising the city’s minimum wage to $11.50 an hour by 2016. The minimum wage then would be indexed for inflation. The current minimum wage for hourly workers in Washington, D.C., is $8.25 an hour, a dollar higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an […]