Archives

No Return-to-Work Form, No Guarantee Job Will Be Waiting

An employee’s refusal to provide acceptable return-to-work documentation after a medical leave of absence may be viewed as a voluntary resignation, even if that individual has a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This assertion helped the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirm a lower federal court’s summary judgment in favor […]

Tales from the healthcare exchange portal

by Jason Lacey On October 1, we reached a big milestone for the implementation of healthcare reform: the opening of the public insurance exchanges. OK, so the day was largely symbolic, and nothing really took effect. It just happened to be the first day we could take a look at what’s available through these new […]

If You Can’t Beat ’Em, Join ’Em

By now, you’ve probably seen (or at least heard about) Marina Shifrin’s viral “quit-eo,” in which she announces her plans to depart her job at a Taiwanese video animating company via homemade dance video – filmed at 4:30 am in her soon-to-be-former, cubicle-filled office:

Disgruntled employees: What are the risks, what are the remedies?

HR professionals know the tips and tricks to keep from making bad hires. There’s never any certainty, but smart professionals armed with strong interviewing skills and solid job descriptions stand a better than good chance of weeding out bad hires on the front end. But what does the savvy HR pro do about “bad quits” […]

Work Furloughs Due to the Govt. Shutdown: How Should Employers Pay Employees?

At press time, federal government agencies and many of the contractors that support them were still shut down by the inability of our ostensible leaders in Washington, D.C., to fulfill their Constitutional duty to pass a budget. No matter its length, though, the shutdown may cause headaches for private-sector employers that had to furlough employees […]

NYC To Require Accommodations for Pregnant Workers

Pregnant employees in New York City will soon be entitled to workplace accommodations, thanks to a bill the city’s council unanimously passed Sept. 24. While the Americans with Disabilities Act requires workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities, it does not consider normal pregnancy a disability. According to the bill, the change was necessary because of […]

Tips for Curbing FMLA Abuse

Combating FMLA abuse can be frustrating, but there are some straightforward actions employers can take to limit abuse before it happens. It all starts with proper administration of FMLA leave, including the use of medical certifications and recertifications as allowed within the FMLA regulations. These tools not only provide clarity for FMLA leave eligibility, but […]

Train Your Employees to Prevent Fires

The information in today’s issue is adapted from BLR’s 7-Minute Safety Trainer session, “Basic Fire Prevention Steps.” Use and Maintain Electrical Equipment Properly Electrical equipment causes the largest number of workplace fires. Follow these safe practices: Replace cords and wires that are frayed or have worn insulation. Don’t overload circuits, motors, fuses, or outlets. Make […]