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Simple Rule: Base Every Action on the Job Description

In yesterday’s Advisor, we told the story of the job description that lost a lawsuit. Today, we offer more on job descriptions and lawsuit avoidance, and we’ll take a look at a unique collection of job descriptions—already written and ready to use. Employment laws are numerous, and it’s a challenge for managers to learn them […]

independent contractor

Test for Classifying Workers is Shifting Away From ‘Economic Reality’

In May 2025, the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published guidance saying that it would stop enforcing a Biden-era rule—one that had rescinded a rule created during the first Trump administration—on the factors distinguishing independent contractors from employees. Although the Biden-era rule remains “on the books” for now while the DOL considers replacing […]

mental health

HR Query: Making Mental Health a Normal Workplace Conversation

Mental health is the ultimate “open secret” in the office. We all have it, but few of us talk about it. Karishma Patel Buford, Chief People Officer at Spring Health, is on a mission to change that. She believes that when leadership gets real about their own struggles, it doesn’t just make the workplace kinder—it […]

Executive Pay: Different Generations, Different Pay Structures

You may have read about different generations and how they view their work and their lives. The differences in their viewpoints, not to mention which attributes they seek as they decide on a job or a career, are significant. What does all this have to do with executive pay? Click here to read more.  

Worried about ‘quickie election’ rule? Attorneys urge supervisor training

The much ballyhooed National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rule shortening the process leading up to unionization elections is now in force, leaving employers scrambling to figure out how best to protect their interests. One bit of advice: Focus on supervisor training. Supervisors are the employer’s eyes and ears among employees, according to Kevin C. McCormick […]

Did Employer’s Overtime Policy Create Unworkable ‘Catch-22’?

By Lorene Novakowski and Derek Knoechel As was noted in an earlier article here, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently certified a class action against the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS). That lawsuit claims $300 million in unpaid overtime involving approximately 5,300 BNS sales staff: Fulawka v. Bank of Nova Scotia (Fulawka). Certification means […]

When Is ‘Ineligible’ Employee Covered By FMLA?

By Valeria Gomez, JD It’s no secret that the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides leave benefits only for employees who fit the strict eligibility requirements set forth in the statute. Recently, however, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit—which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee—ruled that an employer may not be […]

Comprehensive Training Builds a Business

The Seymour, Connecticut-based company has four dealer networks that provide services in waterproofing, crawl space repair, foundation structural repair, and basement finishing. “It’s a dealer network, not a franchise. We actually operate on a handshake,” says Larry Janesky, president of Basement Systems (www.basementsystems.com). The company makes money when dealers sell Basement Systems products, so “we’re […]

Labor Day 2011: September 5

Labor Day “an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers” according to the Department of Labor (DOL). Some historians contend that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first to a day to honor those “who […]