Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
To avoid FLSA trouble, be careful of misclassifying employees, making improper deductions, denying breaks, and allowing nonexempts to work “off the clock.” Dell Computers built its success on operating numerous call centers, where customers could phone in and buy their systems direct from the manufacturer. Now the way Dell runs those centers is under attack. […]
Exit interviews are normally held with employees who have decided to terminate their employment or who have been discharged for cause. One purpose of conducting these interviews is to give departing workers the chance to express their thoughts, whether positive or negative, about the resignation or termination decision, as well as to offer their suggestions […]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed an employment discrimination class action against Walgreen Co., alleging that the drug store chain discriminates against African American workers in its stores nationwide. Walgreens operates over 5,500 stores in 47 states and Puerto Rico, so the lawsuit affects thousands of current and former employees.
A Michigan company has developed a way to audit ineligible dependents out of healthcare plans, saving millions for its large employer clients. But smaller companies may also benefit from the concept. They say that every cloud has a silver lining. A Michigan company has found that silver, actually more like gold, in the endless overcast […]
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob BradyBLR’s founder introduces the National Employee Attitude Survey and invites you to find out more about your own workers’ attitudes, and how they benchmark to others, at no cost to you. In November, I wrote in this space about the employee attitude survey we’ve used at BLR for more […]
We reported last week that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors was considering an ordinance that would give employers an additional transition period before San Francisco’s controversial paid sick leave law, Chapter 12W, takes full effect. The paid sick leave law was approved by voters and took effect on Feb. 5, 2007.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill — the Employee Free Choice Act — that would make it easier for employees to form unions. The measure was approved by a vote of 241-185.
Leading attorneys say you can stay dry in a rising tide of FLSA lawsuits by auditing your exempt/nonexempt classifications and maintaining a strict policy against improper deductions from pay. If you’d like your company to join the ranks of Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Radio Shack, and IBM, that’s easy to do. No, not in making stratospheric levels […]
The California Labor Code requires employers to repay employees for all necessary expenditures employees incur in performing their jobs. However, the law doesn’t provide guidance as to what precisely must be reimbursed and at what rates, or whether paying an increased salary or commission satisfies the reimbursement requirement. Now, the labor commissioner has issued proposed […]
“Orientation has a direct impact on future productivity, performance, and job satisfaction. And you (the supervisor) play a key role in the success of the orientation process.” These words are from BLR’s training program, Audio Click’ n Train: New Employee Orientation: A How-To for Supervisors. Both formal studies and common sense prove that they’re true. […]