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Background Checks: Important New Credit Report Rules; Plus A 6-Point Compliance Guide

Credit reports can be a useful tool for screening job applicants, but using them recently became more complex. That’s because of several important changes to the federal Consumer Credit Reporting Reform Act that are effective September 30, 1997. If you violate these provisions or a similar state law, you can be sued for steep penalties, […]

Free Retirement-Planning Resource from DOL

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has published a new resource to help workers calculate the financial resources they’ll need to ensure a secure retirement. The new publication, “Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning,” is specially designed to assist workers who are within 10 years of retirement to calculate their […]

3 Ways to Make Your Webinar Training More Interactive

Webinars are a great way to connect with your employees and remote teams in real time. However, with technological innovations in the Internet age, the average attention span is getting shorter and shorter. There’s always something else out there competing for their attention, especially other video content.

Interview Tactic: Bring Seafood into the Mix

We recently ran an SBT on a Glassdoor survey about weird interview questions. Among the top were, “How many cows are in Canada?” and “Pick two celebrities to be your parents.” We asked readers to share their own odd interview inquiries. Here’s one that is definitely original: “I like, ‘What’s your favorite fish?’”   “The […]

Retaliation Claims: EEOC Issues New Guidelines Explaining Employee Rights And Your Obligations

It’s no surprise to many employers that discrimination claims have been on the rise over the past several years. But related lawsuits for retaliating against employees who lodge these complaints are also booming. From 1991 to 1997, the number of retaliation charges filed each year with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission skyrocketed by almost 130%. […]

Saving and Investing: The Great Recession’s Impact on Millennials

Your 401(k) plan is designed to help everyone in your workplace to save for retirement—from the youngest employee to the oldest. In the last few years, you may have emphasized the importance of saving early and enough. It can be challenging to reach a diverse group of employees with a message that encourages action, because […]

Selling Safety to the C-Suite

To run an effective safety program, you need to be an enthusiastic booster of safety.  However, enthusiasm won’t win over management—you need to make the business case for safety as well. Management will readily agree that safety is important, and they know that they have a moral–and legal–obligation to maintain a safe workplace.  But sometimes […]

Who’s working at home, and is home the proper place?

Workers who battle drive-time traffic, spend a significant portion of a paycheck at the gas station, and fight the distracting hubbub of the office may dream of working amid the comforts of home. There’s no frustrating commute, no office annoyances. But a good many telecommuters worry that they’re missing something because they’re isolated from colleagues. […]

Calculating Overtime Using the Fluctuating Workweek Method

By Anne Torregrossa, JD, Brann & Isaacson When pondering wage and hour law, folks generally think in terms of “hourly” and “salaried” employees to distinguish between workers who are subject to the minimum wage and overtime requirements and those who aren’t. However, they are really talking about “nonexempt” and “exempt” employees under the Fair Labor […]