Author: jessica
Holiday Pay, Part 1: Must You Pay Two Premium Pay Rates for Working on a Holiday if Employee Puts in OT on that Day?
Wage & Hour: How Do We Handle Disaster Pay for Nonexempt and Exempt Workers?
We have both a construction staff and an office staff, and we’re trying to put together a policy for paying employees in the event of an emergency. What happens if the construction staff needs to be sent home during inclement weather or the office staff and upper management can’t work because their computers are down? […]
Webslacking– ‘Akin to an Addiction,’ Readers Say
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady My recent column “Software Police: Best Way to Curb Webslackers?” generated interesting opinions. Most agreed that webslacking is an insidious problem, but two said to hold off on that monitoring—it’s no good for morale. Here’s a sampling of readers’ reactions: It is akin to an addiction “The problem […]
Noncompetes– Are They Enforceable or Not?
In the last issue of the Advisor, we covered tips for dealing with noncompetes. Today, more detail on that, plus how to train your supervisors and managers on hiring (and everything else). For some more guidance on dealing with noncompetes, we turned to the HR Red Book (What to Do About Personnel Problems in [Your […]
Wage and Hour: Brinker Decision Eases Employer Obligations on Breaks and Off-the-Clock Work
In a long-awaited ruling that could put the brakes on some wage and hour class actions in California, an appeals court has provided welcome guidance and relief to employers on their responsibility to provide meal breaks and pay for “off-the-clock” work.
Noncompete, No Sweat? 7 Tips for Hiring Managers
These days, to get great people, you’ve often got to hire away from your competitors, and that brings the issue of “noncompetes” to HR’s front burner. Today’s experts tell you how to manage restrictive agreements. Aren’t noncompete agreements more a matter for lawyers than HR people? Sure, but when a new hire goes awry because […]
Don’t Get Tripped Up by ‘Reasonableness’ and ‘Alternatives’ Requirements for Wellness Programs
Can’t join your workplace wellness activities due to a health condition? Sure you can, using the government’s accessibility rules for wellness programs. Here’s a primer. In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at “benign discrimination” and “multiple plan” rules for wellness programs. Today, we look at the “reasonableness” test and the “alternative standard” requirement, and introduce a […]
Legal Technicalities That Can Sidetrack Your Wellness Program
Everyone’s concerned about healthcare costs, and that means most are offering wellness programs. But rather than offering “informational” wellness programs, more organizations want to offer mandatory programs that demand results. It’s legal to do so, but … For the money you spend on it, wouldn’t you want a wellness program that goes beyond information and […]
6-Month Appraisals? Not Often Enough, Say Some Readers
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Today, readers talk back. Many agreed with my comments on the virtues of more frequent performance appraisals, although three readers don’t think every 6 months is often enough. Here is a sampling of your responses: Managers Realize the Value “My organization has been doing formal 6-month performance appraisals […]