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Success through rudeness and hostility

Silicon Valley’s third season is in full swing on HBO, which raised a question in my mind: if Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin warranted an entire blog from the FordHarrison crew, isn’t the Hacker Hostel’s Erlich Bachman at least due his own post? My answer: Of course he is! For the uninitiated, Silicon Valley is a […]

Walker to appeal lower court ruling against Wisconsin law restricting union rights

by Timothy Edwards In what may likely be a temporary victory for public unions in the state of Wisconsin, a Dane County judge declared that Governor Scott Walker’s restrictions to the collective bargaining rights of specific government employees (Act 10) are unconstitutional. The court’s decision is not the last word on this politically charged topic. […]

Pay Transparency Rule: What ELSE Must Contractors Do?

By Susan Schoenfeld, JD In earlier articles, we’ve told you about the final pay transparency rule implementing Executive Order (EO) 13665, Non-Retaliation for Disclosure of Compensation Information. The final rule and the EO prohibit federal contractors from discharging or discriminating in any way against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their own […]

13 Inexpensive–but Effective–Employee Motivators

Retention and productivity are always challenges, especially with budgets shaved to the bone. So here are 13 tips on beating the budget crunch from BLR’s 99 Ways to Keep Employees Happy, Satisfied, Motivated and Productive, by noted HR author Peter R. Garber. 1. Have a Family Day at Work An employee’s family provides critically important […]

Can Public/Private Training Programs Help You Achieve Your Training Needs?

New and expanding companies in Louisiana may be eligible for free, customized training through Louisiana Economic Development’s (LED) award-winning workforce development program. How it works LED FastStart offers training development and delivery, as well as employee recruitment and screening, at no cost to Louisiana companies that are creating at least 15 new manufacturing jobs or […]

Can Employees Choose to Work Instead of Take a Meal Break?

The California Supreme Court is currently considering the scope of employer meal break obligations under state law. The question before the court is whether employers must only “provide” a meal break, or “ensure” that employees take meal breaks. There’s no indication of when the court will be making its ruling.

The Vicker(s) Cometh

Tonight truly marked the beginning of the end for Michael Scott, as a new Scranton branch manager made his first appearance. Deangelo Vickers, played by Will Ferrell, started out with a Michael-esque quality of lovable dope, but it soon became apparent Deangelo Vickers is no Michael Scott. It became apparent when he asked Erin to change the […]

How Much Do Your Teen Workers Need Training?

If you’re employing teen workers this summer or perhaps taking on some recent high school grads full time, make sure they stay safe on the job. Every 5 days a teen worker is killed on the job, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and more than 200,000 are injured annually, which is […]

7th Circuit: Pharmacy Reps Exempt from FLSA as “Administrative Employees”

Although the Supreme Court will soon decide whether pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs) may qualify for the Fair Labor Standards Act’s “outside sales” exemption from overtime pay, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in early May that PSRs could be exempt from the FLSA under the law’s “administrative exemption” (Schaefer La-Rose v. Eli Lilly […]

2019

Tips for Effectively Vetting College Graduates

In 2017, 74% of employers claimed that they were going to hire recent college graduates. And you can expect this to remain a trend in 2018, too, as competition to acquire new and progressive talent will continue in coming years.