Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Many times, when employers receive an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citation—if not most times—they claim it wasn’t their fault, but rather the employee did something stupid. OSHA recognizes such a defense, called the “employee misconduct” defense. It is an affirmative defense, meaning the employer has the burden of proof in establishing the misconduct.
Employers know that workplace stress can lead to burnout, a situation best avoided! But stressors outside of the workplace can also cause problems within the workplace. Employers should be aware of the common life stressors that could significantly impact employee productivity and have ways to reduce these impacts.
California employers must comply with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and, if there is a conflict, follow the law that is most beneficial to employees. This article provides tips on how to satisfy your medical certification obligations under those statutes.
It seems it will be months here in the United States before things “go back to normal.” Of course, we all know that the new normal will be as unfamiliar as it is challenging. The transformation of the way we work and live has already been severe. What new challenges has that brought to employers […]
We recently received the following question from a subscriber: Can we suspend an exempt employee without pay for violating a written policy?
Many of you are likely familiar with the popular whodunnit movie franchise, Knives Out. The latest film in the series, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, released on November 26, 2025. It is a spectacular mystery filled with action and laughs. It also made me ponder one of the ever-present “mysteries” in the modern workplace, independent contractors. The Knives […]
As a manager, would you rather hire a person who wants to do great work for a company or a person who wants to work for a great company? Think about it for a minute. There’s a difference.
Earlier this year, we surveyed subscribers to get a pulse on their recruiting strategies in this tight labor market. One question we asked was: Is your organization open to negotiating salary for initial job offers?
by Kathy Neal Many things can be scary for the unseasoned HR manager, particularly when it comes to wage and hour law. One of the scariest areas involves pay deductions. HR Guide to Employment Law: A Practical Compliance Reference Understanding the Fair Labor Standards Act – FLSA Many employers issue laptops or smartphones to their […]
Q. One of our employees who has worked for us a little over 2 years just presented us with a new Social Security number (SSN) and said the old one we have been using is no longer her number. I have never heard of this before. Do we terminate the old record/file and rehire her […]