Archives

Handling time off: PTO vs. traditional plans

It’s summer and employers are deep into the peak vacation season — a time when they may be wondering if they’re handling time off in the best way. The paid time off (PTO) system has gained popularity in recent years although a 2010 survey by WorldatWork, a group focusing on human resources issues, found that […]

Critical HR Policies—What Are Best Practice Companies Doing?

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 […]

Health Reform Will Spawn More Audits, Lawsuits and Liability, Expert Predicts

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 […]

Wildfires Tax Local Fire Departments, Raise Wage and Hour Challenges

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 […]

Alice is Smoking in the Dynamite Shack

Lott, one of SHRM’s most popular speakers, counsels employers on lawsuit avoidance from www.Hunterlott.com. Alice is Smoking in the Dynamite Shack Here’s the typical progressive discipline policy that I see, says Lott: “To insure that business is conducted properly and efficiently, you must conform to certain standards of attendance, conduct, work performance and other work […]

Who’s More Likely to Take a Vacation?

By Kyle Emshwiller Who’s more likely to plan a vacation, you or your boss? According to a recent survey, it’s your boss who is more likely to put up an “out-of-office” message. According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 81 percent of managers have taken or plan to take vacation this year, compared to 65 percent […]

The Boss Is on Holiday: Do Not Disturb

By Kyle Emshwiller Are you having a hard time getting a response from your vacationing boss? Don’t take it personally. According to a recent survey, 51 percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) said they do not check in with the office at all while on vacation. That’s nearly double the response to a similar poll […]

HR, the People Who Keep Me from Doing What I Want to Do

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 […]

Courts Split over FLSA Damages for Emotional Distress

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 […]

What Can Be Worse than Working?

By Elaine Quayle Can it be that going to work ain’t so bad? A survey of 1,000 adults by Consumer Reports found that people would rather go to work than do a number of other things—especially a boring summertime chore! Guess there weren’t too many landscapers taking this survey, because mowing the lawn ranked as […]