Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
A recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio illustrates the relatively low bar an employee must clear to proceed with a regarded-as-disabled claim. Facts Douglas McGonegle worked for Sleep Number, a mattress and sleep accessory store, as an at-will employee (that is, he could be fired at any time […]
For many, one of the bright spots of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the ability to work from home for the last year. In addition to the greater flexibility and shorter commute, many employees hoped for some relief from toxic workplaces. Workplace Toxicity Follows Employees Home Unfortunately, and surprisingly, many victims of a toxic workplace […]
During the past year, while most of us have hunkered down at home, frontline workers have done vital work keeping our factories and distribution centers operational, keeping our lights on and our water flowing, and delivering the groceries and e-commerce purchases on which so many of us have come to rely. The deskless workforce doesn’t […]
Your company invests several billions of dollars in automation machinery—miles of conveyor belts, intricately interlaced pneumatics, diverters, sorters, and stampers—to boost productivity and responsiveness. You hire a crack squad to install it properly, which is an additional nine-figure investment … and then it breaks.
The world is filled with noise, both literal and metaphorical, and there are times when everyday distractions make it difficult or impossible to focus on the task at hand. Consider that, on average, employees check their e-mail 36 times an hour and spend 2 hours each day just recovering from distractions. For many, those disruptions […]
A Form I-9 is required for all new hires to verify their employment eligibility. Before March 2020, employers had to physically inspect original documents the new hires presented for I-9 purposes. After the COVID-19 pandemic started, however, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) relaxed the physical inspection requirement, provided the business had no employees reporting […]
Ambiguous and confusing communications by an employer and benefits administrator to an employee about her Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and short-term disability (STD) leave requests created issues of fact for a trial to decide, a federal district court in Columbus recently ruled. Facts Abby Knaup worked for Molina Healthcare of Ohio from April […]
In the year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the working world has shifted much of its focus to the question of remote work. What was once a rare (and often coveted) opportunity for working professionals has become the new normal, creating a potential permanent standard for millions of Americans and exposing the struggles of adopting […]
It’s an understatement to say that 2020 changed the way we do business. Home offices replaced centralized corporate buildings, Zoom calls replaced conference room meetings, and at the same time, the country suffered from an unstable and wavering job market for months. Fortunately, we are finally seeing a light at the end of the COVID-19 […]
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) decision to withdraw the independent contractor rule developed during the previous administration means businesses looking forward to an easier justification of contractor status need to think again.