Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

‘I Didn’t Know You Wanted Me Here Every Day!’

Yesterday’s issue emphasized the necessity of sharing your attendance expectations with employees. Here are the key points that BLR’s popular 10-Minute HR Trainer suggests you stress in employee training on attendance. 1. Employer Expectations Regarding Attendance Regular attendance is a requirement of every employee’s job. It is important because: High absenteeism rates reduce productivity. Absenteeism […]

9 Rules for Dealing with Attendance Problems

Every organization has them—employees who push every attendance policy to the extremes. Here are 9 ways to put a stop to their shenanigans. The vast majority of supervisors’ day-to-day HR problems relate to attendance, says Bob Gibson, blogging on Fedsmith.com But too many managers tend to be casual about it. That won’t work, says Gibson. Managers […]

Note from Boss Saved 50 Years: Little Things Do Matter

By Elaine Quayle, BLR EditorJust My E-pinion We may think that small tokens of appreciation don’t matter to workers, but here’s the story of a boss’s congratulatory letter that was treasured for 50 years. My mother put only her most valuable things in her white leather jewelry box. And since her jewelry collection was meager, […]

A Simple Chart to Justify Overtime Exemptions

Per yesterday’s Advisor, the exempt/nonexempt designation can be terrifically important: To employees, to you, and to the government. Today we’ll look at two ways to make it simpler and easier. One of the easiest ways to deal with exemption issues is to use a chart, says attorney Tom Makris of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP […]

How to Talk So People Listen: Connecting in Today’s Workplace

Technology writer and consultant David Micah Kaufman reviews the book How to Talk So People Listen: Connecting in Today’s Workplace by Sonya Hamlin. Review notes book’s advice for thinking through the various consequences and responses of business communications makes it a classic. One of the keys to success for any organization is communication. I have […]

New California Supreme Court CFRA Ruling: Holding Down a Job While on Medical Leave from Another Employer Not Automatic Grounds for Denying CFRA Leave

Suppose you have an employee who requests medical leave because she has a medical condition that, she claims, interferes with her ability to do her job. In the course of determining whether this time off qualifies as protected family and medical leave, you discover that she is continuing to work for another employer, performing similar […]

FLSA Exempt vs. Nonexempt Classification: Living in Lawsuit City

Overtime FLSA lawsuits are cropping up by the dozens—what’s behind them? And more important, what can you do to protect yourself? Which of your employees are exempt from being paid overtime? Which are not? Although the exemption rules are clearly laid out by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), in each exemption category—executive, administrative, computer, […]

Axed, Canned, Downsized: The ‘Art’ of Getting Fired

TV’s “The Donald” seems to have patented the line “You’re fired!” but unfortunately, most firings are not on reality television; they are in your office, and you might be next. Today’s expert offers tips on using the situation to position yourself for your next job. If you work in business long enough, at some point, […]

Wrongful Termination: Labor Relations Law Preempted Employee’s Wrongful Discharge Lawsuit—But Caution Still Required

Richard Luke was a maintenance engineer for Collotype Labels USA, Inc., a Napa manufacturer of wine and liquor labels. Luke was suspended for three days for allegedly violating an absence-related work rule. He disagreed with the suspension and handled it by emailing Nigel Vinecombe, the group managing director for Collotype’s Australia office. Luke titled the […]