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Give your 2016 “to do” list a good spring cleaning

by Dan Oswald Spring has sprung. The grass is green. The flowers are blooming. The trees are in full blossom. It’s that time of year again. Time for spring cleaning. Out with the old and in with the new. At least that’s my wife’s way of thinking. Last weekend, we spent a day cleaning out […]

skills

Small Businesses Place Blame on Big Businesses for Hiring Challenges

Results from a recent survey of small business owners conducted by Survey Monkey and CNBC found that “16% of small business owners (but 41% of small businesses with 50 employees or more) have had open positions for at least three months.” That’s a pretty big number for those 50+-employee companies. And those businesses have some […]

Do Your Employees Know How to Keep the Workplace Secure?

Workplace security is a critical concern for employers nationwide. Crimes against businesses are increasing. Companies like yours must be concerned about theft of equipment, inventory, trade secrets, computer information, and money. You also must take steps to prevent other security risks such as arson, vandalism, and workplace violence. Workplace crime not only affects the company […]

fertility

Keeping leave legal: Escape bias claims related to time off for new parents

Many employers interested in promoting a family-friendly workplace want to offer new moms and dads paid time off for parental leave. But they need to keep discrimination concerns in mind if they plan to offer moms more “parental” time than dads. Recently, a group of attorneys was asked about the legality of an employer’s idea […]

Does Banishing Scents Make Sense at Work?

It seems that the number of people with allergies or sensitivities to various scents and smells has grown substantially. Some of those allergies can be severe, causing severe respiratory difficulties and other serious health issues.

Does Your Safety Training Need a Hand?

Because the hands and fingers play a role in virtually every task, they are unusually vulnerable to injury. And they are also often taken for granted and not protected as well as they should be. Yet their distinctive characteristics—strength, flexibility, sensitivity, and coordination—are vital, and hand protection and safety should be a major concern for […]

New York adopts higher salary thresholds for exempt employees

by Charles H. Kaplan Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. Employers in New York must increase the salaries of exempt executive and administrative employees by December 31 to meet the requirements of recently adopted regulations. Employers also must decide whether to increase exempt employees’ salaries each year to match annual increases required by the new regulations. […]

N.C. Voters Nix Same-sex Marriage: Implications for Employers

Employers in North Carolina will not face the complications their counterparts in states where same-sex marriage is legal or recognized do, but local and municipal governments that provide domestic partner benefits may have to change their policies. Tar Heel State voters on May 8 approved an amendment to the state constitution that defines marriage as […]