Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The creator of the original screenplay for the horror movie “Friday the 13th” could terminate his copyright grant and reclaim it, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers New York) recently decided. The outcome turned on the screenwriter’s employment status. If your business creates copyrighted material, read on to understand how the decision […]
For the millions of people who suffer from seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the winter months can be especially difficult. But did you know SAD can also influence workers in the workplace? Employers therefore need to be aware of this problem and do their part to help employees who may be […]
A recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling determined that including certain nondisparagement and confidentiality provisions in severance agreements violates the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Facts McLaren Macomb Hospital permanently furloughed 11 employees and contemporaneously presented them each with a “Severance Agreement, Waiver and Release.” The agreement contained provisions that broadly prohibited them from […]
For many employers, certain benefits have long been part of the overall compensation package. In particular, health and dental packages probably come to mind for most readers. In recent years, many employers have also started embracing wellness incentives, where employees are given various enticements for participating in company wellness programs. According to Employee Benefit News, […]
It’s often difficult for a long-serving leader to step aside and let a younger generation take the reins. That’s true in both business and in politics, and business leaders can likely draw some lessons in succession planning from the recent experience of the Democratic Party in settling on a nominee for president. Leadership in Politics […]
by Sam R. Fulkerson The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced in January that 93,277 workplace discrimination charges were filed nationwide during 2009 — the second-highest level ever — and monetary relief obtained for victims totaled more than $376 million. The 2009 data show that private-sector job bias charges alleging discrimination based on disability, religion, […]
Most employers are at least somewhat familiar with binding arbitration, and many know the ins and outs of litigation far too well. But you may not know as much about workplace mediation—another process that might keep you out of court and give you more flexibility than an arbitrator’s ruling. Here’s a look at the mediation […]
The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Michigan employers) recently issued a long-awaited decision about the appropriateness of interest rate assumptions used by union pension funds to calculate withdrawal liability. The court affirmed a district court’s opinion holding the Ohio Operating Engineers Pension Fund’s use of the “Segal Blend” violated the Employee Retirement […]
In its recent efforts to enforce the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer mandate, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been disregarding key safeguards in the law designed to protect employers from unwarranted penalties, a coalition of business organizations warned in a recent letter to federal officials.
We have an employee who is “sick” quite often. I suspect that there’s not any illness, just a desire to stay home, because the illnesses always seem to be at stressful times for the business. I have asked her for a doctor’s note for the file, and she gets very angry and says that by […]