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Boosting Employees’ Financial ‘Health’ Pays Off for Employers

by Kristie Howard, Longfellow Benefits With the adoption of worksite wellness growing as a key business strategy to improve workers’ health and productivity, leading employers are already seeing bottom-line benefits from investing to keep employees healthy. As bad news continues to mount on the economic frontand people become more stressed about their personal finances, employers […]

Alcoholism and how USC may have violated ADA by firing Steve Sarkisian

On October 12, 2015, Steve Sarkisian was fired as  head coach of the University of Southern California (USC) football team. While USC contends Sarkisian was fired for “cause,” there is no question that his alcohol-related behavior led to his termination. Whether the termination was or was not properly for “cause” is relevant, in part, because […]

Heat

Cal/OSHA Intends to Close the Door on Indoor Heat Illness

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) has had a heat illness prevention rule in place since 2006; that rule has been revised and updated several times. But, as often as it has been updated and as determinedly as Cal/OSHA has enforced it, the rule has had one huge, gaping hole in coverage: indoor […]

10th Circuit Decision May Affect Work-From-Home Requests After Pandemic Ends

As COVID-19 vaccinations increase and states ease pandemic-related restrictions, many employers are beginning to plan for employees’ to return to the office. But not all workers may want to return, and some might ask to work remotely because of ongoing concerns about the virus in light of underlying health conditions or simply a fear of […]

What Makes Company Culture Really?

Even when a company doesn’t try to cultivate its culture, that culture is there. It’s the personality of an organization from the perspective of its employees and includes things like the company’s mission, expectations, and overall work atmosphere. Whether it’s officially documented, symbolized in the business logo, or merely an unspoken but understood definition, culture […]

Hiring Trends to Continue for 2016

U.S. employers remain confident in their hiring plans as they embark on a new year, according to CareerBuilder’s annual job forecast. Thirty-six percent of employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in 2016, the same as in 2015. Nearly one-half of employers (47%) plan to hire temporary or contract workers. Workers can also expect to […]

Baby in the Office: A Slippery Situation

Litigation Value: Currently, $0 My stomach still hurts from laughing. This week on The Office, Michael Scott prepared for the birth of his make-believe baby by having Dwight Schrute, pant-less and on Michael’s desk, give birth to a buttered-up watermelon, all the while screaming about secretly marking the baby so no one could steal it.  […]

Going Fishing ‘Under Doctor’s Orders’ While on FMLA Leave Gets State Official Fired

A state government official has stepped down after the Better Government Association and news outlets began investigating a long pattern of Family and Medical Leave Act absences that, they said, smelled fishy. Namely, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources deputy director missed more than three months of work, mostly using paid sick time, to fish […]