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Wage and Hour Law: Designed for the 1920s, Applied in the 21st Century

The fundamental premise of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is that all employees are covered by its base requirements. This includes being paid minimum wage for every hour worked and time and one-half for all overtime. The FLSA is a statute of inclusion, which means all employees are covered unless they fit within specific, […]

communication

The Most Needed Skills for 2019: Soft Skills

The beginning of a new year is a natural time to look at self-improvement and set goals for the coming year. For professionals, that often involves focusing on improving professional skills. But, according to LinkedIn® data, there are over 50,000 professional skills out there. Obviously, that’s far too many for any one person to absorb. […]

Electronic Signatures for Forms 5500 and 5500-SF Mandatory Jan. 1

Beginning Jan. 1, 2012, Forms 5500 and 5500-SF must have electronic signatures. The consequences of filing without them are serious: it will result in a form not being processed at all, and could result in penalties being imposed on the plan. Forms 5500 and 5500-SF that have no electronic signature will be given a filing […]

Got a toxic employee? Hiring a superstar may not be the solution

Employers are generally willing, even eager, to invest time, energy, and money into bringing on a superstar employee. They’re confident the payoff that comes from hiring a star will make the effort worth it. But what if the employer also has a toxic employee? Will a strong hire counteract the damage? A recent Harvard Business […]

When Is Sexual Abuse an “Accident?”

A student alleged that she was sexually abused by a construction worker at her school and sued the construction company for negligently hiring, retaining, and supervising the worker. The company submitted the claim to its insurance company under a commercial general liability policy. The carrier successfully challenged the company’s request for coverage in federal court. […]

‘Boomer, I Want Your Job!’ (But Not Your Stress)

The generations below the Boomers are ready and eager to move up to the Boomers’ jobs, but the Boomers aren’t leaving (because their 401(k)s are now 201(k)s, says consultant Shira Harrington. The problem is compounded, Harrington says, because although Gen Xers do want to move up to the Boomers’ jobs, they don’t want the stress […]

review

Why It’s Time to Replace the Performance Review

by Lisa Bodell, futurethink This past summer, IBM announced that it would exchange annual performance reviews for a different approach: instead of being held to a set of goals drafted every January, employees will check in with managers throughout the year and get more frequent feedback, shifting priorities and goals if needed. The new process […]