Author: Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR

A Sweet Way to Resign

A man working for the UK Border Agency at Stansted Airport decided it was time to quit his job and follow his passion, in the cake business. So, naturally, he decided to offer up his resignation to management on a plate. On a large cake, the man employed his dessert-decorating skills to pen his resignation […]

HRIS 101: Selecting the Right System for Your Organization

Selecting an HRIS can be a daunting task, says consultant Amy Letke, SPHR, GPHR, but careful preplanning, including developing a clear picture of your needs, can make it go relatively smoothly. Letke, who is the founder and CEO of the HR consulting and HR outsourcing company HR Integrity, Inc., offered her tips at a recent […]

OMG! Labor Secretary Earns ‘Halo’

You probably think you have the patience of a saint for all you put up with in HR. Well, according to the U.S. Department of Labor newsletter of April 11, 2013, a past Secretary of Labor was just voted the “Golden Halo” in an online contest. Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. […]

Use Training Committees to Improve Results

Gaining award-winning status for its learning organization has helped Jiffy Lube® International, (www.JiffyLube.com), a 100-percent franchisee-owned and -operated store chain, improve its training function even more, says Kenneth Barber, the company’s manager of learning and development. Barber attributes the success of Jiffy Lube University (JLU) to its close alignment with the business, franchisees, and vendor […]

3 FLSA Challenges: Off-Clock, Travel time, ‘Independent’ Contractors

special report, Hot Wage and Hour Issues for Home Healthcare Employers (Littler Report). In today’s issue, more wage/hour tips, plus an introduction to the unique “50×50”—50 Employment Laws in 50 States. Note: Find the complete Littler Report here. Compensable Work Outside of Patient Care Duties Some preshift or postshift activities may be compensable, the Littler […]

COBRA Extension Notice Needed Despite Awareness of Disability

Group health plan terms clearly explained that the plan administrator had to be notified of a disability determination within 60 days in order to trigger an 11-month COBRA extension; therefore, the plan administrator was justified in denying the extension when notice was received five months after the determination was issued, a federal district court in […]

Reductions in Transitional Reinsurance Fee Are Possible but Unlikely

Employers might pay less than $63 per covered life per year under health reform’s transitional reinsurance fee rules, but that would require a surplus in the fund, a U.S. Department of Labor official told an employer plan industry group on April 18 in Washington, D.C. Even though possible, such a reduction would be contingent on: […]

Looking for Ways to Improve Training?

Gaining award-winning status for its learning organization has helped Jiffy Lube® International improve its training function even more, says Kenneth Barber, the company’s manager of learning and development. Jiffy Lube (www.JiffyLube.com), a 100-percent franchisee-owned and -operated store chain, has placed in the top five in a dozen national and international training competitions, Barber says. He […]

Hot Wage/Hour Issues (Littler Report)

Law firm Littler Mendelson’s recently issued special report, Hot Wage and Hour Issues for Home Healthcare Employers (Littler Report), which offers practical tips for employers in any industry. The recently published Littler Report finds that wage and hour lawsuits against home healthcare providers have frequently involved three issues: Misclassification (employees who claim they have been […]