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Planning to Hire Teens for Summer Jobs? Brush Up on These FLSA Basics

The summer job season for teenagers kicks off in the next few weeks. Therefore, employers planning to hire young workers to augment their workforce must make sure they are compliant with the child labor provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act to avoid facing steep penalties. Whether they are bagging groceries or mowing lawns, working […]

How to improve your reference checking

Reference checking an applicant’s past can make today’s hiring decision easier … but only if you do it right! It’s been said that “the answers to all questions of the present reside in the past.” While not true for everything, there’s a lot of validity in this statement when hiring new employees. It’s likely your […]

Discipline—Don’t Let Supervisors Go It Alone

Don’t let your supervisors discipline employees on their own, says attorney Jeffrey Wortman. Keep HR involved. Supervisors and managers about to impose discipline are often frustrated, angry, and at the end of their ropes. That’s not a good place for clear thinking and rational discipline. Wortman, a partner in the Los Angeles office of national […]

8 Practical Suggestions for Managing FMLA Leave

How do you manage FMLA leave requests while both minimizing employee misuse and avoiding retaliation claims? It’s not always simple to juggle FMLA leave requests with all of your existing HR policies. In a BLR webinar titled "The New Leave Compliance: How to Master FMLA, ADA, and Workers’ Comp Overlap," Marylou V. Fabbo outlined some […]

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Is Employee Totally Disabled or Not? U.S. Appeals Court Must Decide

By Kate McGovern Tornone, Editor A recent ruling by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee—has found that an employee who cannot explain discrepancies between her Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation request and her Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) application cannot bring a disability discrimination claim against her employer.

Want Better Talent? Start with Better Benefits

By Tariq Hilaly, CEO of Lumity Job seekers aren’t the only ones struggling with the job market. Businesses have to work harder than ever to acquire and retain the top-tier talent they want in their ranks—and with health benefits becoming more important to potential employees, businesses need to step up their health plan offerings to […]

What to Do When U.S. National Security, Canadian Employment Laws Clash

by Rachel Ravary McCarthy Tetrault No one can deny that security concerns have taken on monumental proportions in the post-9/11 era. Buzzwords like national security, homeland security, border security, supply chain security, perimeter security, and security threats have become part of our daily vocabulary. National security is also high on the list of priorities of […]

Workplace Lessons from the Campaign Trail

by Margaret DiBianca Politics isn’t a career for the thin-skinned. “Getting the goods” on one’s opponent often seems like a strategic tactic. Candidates who engage in that “strategy” look for harmful information, and then, when the time is right, maybe at a rally or mid-debate, the goods are slung like mud in the general direction […]

Severance Programs: ERISA Traps For The Unwary

Your voluntary separation incentive plan may involve even more paperwork and expenses than you think. According to a new federal government opinion, severance programs that aren’t directly linked to retirement can still be considered pension plans covered by detailed ERISA compliance requirements. 400+ pages of state-specific, easy-read reference materials at your fingertips—fully updated! Check out […]