Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In an unpublished opinion, a unanimous panel from the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to employers in South Carolina, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia) provided some great insight into possible defenses against an Equal Pay Act (EPA) claim. Because this is just an unpublished opinion, it’s not binding precedent.
Overexposure to certain materials we work with can cause health problems. There are three ways these materials can get into our bodies: Inhaling hazardous airborne vapors, dusts, or fibers can be harmful to health. Effects range from headaches, nausea, and respiratory problems to far more serious—sometimes even fatal—ailments. Swallowing hazardous substances can poison you or […]
With the U.S. unemployment rate at an all-time low and job openings at a 17-year high (with a reported 6.6 million openings as of June 2018), it’s hard to imagine that job growth has slowed and even stagnated in parts of the country. The fact is, rural areas and smaller cities are scrambling to find […]
Here’s a true story. Dennis is 28 years old and has Down syndrome. After high school, he lived in a county group house and spent five years stuffing calendars into cardboard tubes—reliable but unrewarding work. A former student of one of the authors, now a restaurant owner, hired him as a waiter. Dennis quickly mastered […]
Healthy lifestyles can lead to overall better outlooks on life, which definitely hold promise for workplaces where Americans toil away day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year.
Understanding team effectiveness is becoming increasingly important. Organizations are rapidly dismantling traditional hierarchies in search of new and dynamic ways to respond to changing market conditions. In their place, teams are stepping up to underpin new business models and drive performance. Which raises the following question: how do you describe an effective team and the […]
by Dan Oswald Love him or hate him, it’s hard to deny that Donald Trump has communicated differently than any other U.S. presidential candidate, president-elect, and now president. And his communication style has been analyzed, criticized, and commended. Everyone seems to have an opinion about his approach to communication, but there certainly isn’t agreement on […]
According to a recent survey, only 30% of companies actively practice internal hiring. When you look at the pros and cons of this practice, it’s clear that the other 70% is missing out. The relationship between a recently open position and hiring can seem simple and obvious. When one employee leaves, hire another. An American […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) approach to investigating whistleblower complaints—something it is authorized to do under 22 separate government standards—is very similar to its approach to investigating reports of reported safety and health compliance issues. OSHA strongly recommends proper training for management and workers.
Even non-exempt employees can cause confusion and employer liability under the FLSA. Often, employers run into trouble when attempting to classify their employees for purposes of pay exemptions. But equally tricky is how to pay non-exempt employees who have non-traditional forms of payment, such as tipped employees. The recent slew of major FLSA wage and […]