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We’re At Will–Why the Fuss over Documentation?

What HR manager hasn’t heard, “We’re an at-will employer, so why do I need documentation before I fire?” Good question, says today’s expert. After all, what is ambiguous about the at-will doctrine? In most organizations, employees are “at will,” that is, they are hired for no specific time period, with no contractual relationship, and employment […]

Understanding Vocational Learning and the New Workforce (Part 1)

In his State of the Union Address in January, President Trump said, “… let us invest in workforce development and job training. Let us open great vocational schools so our future workers can learn a craft and realize their full potential.” And since then, a lot of experts in politics, higher education, and the U.S. […]

Tips for Recruiting Talent in an Age of Low Unemployment Rates

With the unemployment rate at less than 4%, jobseekers are currently in the driver’s seat and are being more selective with their potential job opportunities. And now, employers must turn to more passive candidates and look at long-term goals and strategies if they’re interested in acquiring top talent.

Census Bureau: Most First-Time Working Mothers Receive Paid Leave

Employers are increasingly likely to provide paid leave to working mothers, new Census data suggests. The U.S. Census Bureau report,  released in early November, doesn’t look directly at employer policies. Rather, it analyzes trends in women’s work experience before their first child, identifies their maternity leave arrangements before and after the birth and examines how rapidly […]

Family and Medical Leave: A Spotlight on Time Off for Adoption or Foster Care

A new department of Labor opinion letter sheds light on when an employee does—and doesn’t—have the right to FMLA leave when adopting a child or receiving a child for foster care. We’ll explain the rules and point out some key differences in this area between the FMLA and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA). FMLA […]

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Would More Favorable Parental Leave Laws Help Boost Workforce Participation?

We hear a lot in the news these days about the historically low unemployment rate, but one figure we don’t hear about nearly as much is the labor force participation rate—the ratio between the size of the labor force and the size of the overall population for that age group, often grouped by cohort (i.e., […]

$10.10 minimum wage for contractors set for January 1

President Barack Obama’s Executive Order raising the minimum wage for federal contractors and subcontractors is set to take effect for all federal contracts beginning on or after January 1. Obama signed Executive Order 13658 on February 12. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the final rule implementing the order on October 1. The DOL […]

With pals like this, who needs enemies?

For those entrepreneurs who have struck it rich thanks to the Internet, Al Gore’s invention has been a wonderful thing. But a news story last week illustrated that the Internet also can cause a lot of headaches–even for the same people whose children and grandchildren may never have to work a day in their lives because […]