Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
If you’re a Twitter user, you’ve probably seen a few Tweets from disgruntled workers. From ranting about the boss to complaining about pay, Twitter, like other social media sites, is becoming an area where employees feel comfortable complaining about anything work-related. The problem—Twitter is a public social media site. A new app, FireMe!, is collecting […]
by Boyd Byers Pop diva Lady Gaga affectionately refers to her fans as “little monsters.” But she recently became acquainted with a big monster― the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Jennifer O’Neill, who worked as Gaga’s personal assistant, sued the pop star’s company, Mermaid Touring, Inc., for FLSA violations. She says she was continuously on […]
Most managers think overtime calculation is simple—1½ times the hourly rate. That’s one of the most common wage and hour misconceptions—and violations. Overtime is 1½ times the “regular rate,” which is often not the same as the hourly rate. The regular rate must include the reasonable cost of meals, lodging, and other facilities provided to […]
SBT has written about chimps, goats, dogs, cats, bats, and insects in the workplace. But there is a new species proliferating in cubicles—digital omnivores! Author Tim Lloyd, writing in venturebeat.com, warns that these digital omnivores are threatening the extinction of workers’ attention spans. Why? Lloyd says digital omnivores are ravenous, consuming information from multiple media […]
Amid historically low interest rates, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent affirmation of a retirement plan’s choice of discount rate for converting annuities into lump-sum payments to beneficiaries should reassure defined benefit plan sponsors facing similar challenges. In Dennison v. MONY Life Retirement Income Security Plan (No. 12-2407, 7th Cir., March 6, 2013), […]
Employers must make accommodations to allow employees with disabilities to participate in their wellness programs, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a recently released informal discussion letter. The letter was written in response to an employer’s question about a special program for employees with diabetes. The employer wanted to waive its annual health […]
“Trainers need to prepare themselves to facilitate and to engage with an audience they don’t see,” says Cindy Huggett, training consultant and author of Virtual Training Basics (www.cindyhuggett.com). First, trainers need to “learn the platform—in and out. Know every button,” she recommends. Second, be well versed in the technology, test the technology in advance, and […]
DiMisa, who is senior vice president, Sales Force Effectiveness at Sibson Consulting, outlined eight design challenges during a recent webinar sponsored by BLR® and HR Hero®. ROI #1. Reduction in Compensation Cost of Sales through Improved Plan Design and Measurement Reducing total incentive compensation costs through improvements in design and planning can yield a near-term […]
Knowing what types of immigration forms can be accepted for non-U.S.-residents is a very important issue for employers handling I-9 forms. Each category (in terms of immigration status) has its own set of rules and restrictions, so it’s crucial for employers to have a complete understanding of the verification process to ensure their workforce is […]
by Dan Oswald If you’re like many, you have been watching the NCAA basketball tournament. And if you’re one of the lucky few, you might be on top of the leader board in your office pool or your team might be one of the Final Four. What makes watching the tournament fun for me, in […]