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Supreme Court Unanimously Upholds Church Firing of Teacher/Minister

In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a church’s right under the First Amendment to fire an employee who was a minister despite federal antidiscrimination laws. The case, Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, marks the first time the Supreme Court has recognized the First Amendment-based ministerial […]

Integrate Diversity into Other Initiatives

Diversity consultant and founder of QUEST Diversity Initiatives LLC Natalie Holder-Winfield, wants to make something clear: “When I say ‘diverse,’ I don’t mean it as a stand-in or as another word for ‘minority.’ When I refer to a diverse workforce, I really do mean people of all different ideas, thoughts, cultures, backgrounds, and sexual orientation […]

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 […]

How Far Can You Go in Controlling Employee Health?

Staggering healthcare costs are making many employers want to move beyond passive wellness programs toward a more aggressive stance that demands healthy results, not mere participation. How far can you go? Today’s expert sorts it out. Employers may make health demands, but only within certain strict limits, says Antoinette Plizner of the Ann Arbor, Michigan, […]

Employers need to understand injury reporting obligations

By Rosalind H. Cooper In most provinces across Canada, occupational health and safety legislation requires that employers and other workplace parties report injuries and incidents to the appropriate government ministry. While most reporting requirements relate to workplace injuries, there are also requirements to report certain types of incidents regardless of whether there is an associated […]

New OSHA reporting requirement takes effect January 1

by Judith E. Kramer A new rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requiring employers to notify the agency when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye goes into effect on January 1 for workplaces under OSHA’s jurisdiction. The rule also updates […]

Voters to decide on Anchorage collective bargaining ordinance

by Tom Daniel When voters in Anchorage go to the polls in November, they will decide the fate of a local ordinance that reins in the collective bargaining rights of municipal employees. A referendum to repeal the local ordinance known as the Responsible Labor Act will be part of the November 4 ballot. The ordinance, […]

Pension Plans: Supreme Court Restores Employer Discretion Over Surplus Assets

Because of the huge stock market gains in recent years, many defined benefit pension plans contain more assets than are needed to pay out benefits. Since 1997, however, a ruling from the federal appeals court that covers California has sharply limited employers’ discretion in how to use that “extra” money. But in a recent unanimous […]

Managing Leave—Annoying for Sure, But Doable

“Never let managers deal with leave requests,” says one expert, but that’s easier said than done. For every HR manager who doesn’t have a leave specialist on staff, here are Bob Gilson’s tips for dealing with leave requests. Gilson, an expert on employee relations, offers his tips on FedSmith.com, where he is a frequent blogger. […]

Benefits Trends: Employee Involvement Is Critical

Yesterday, Kristen Allison, president of Orange County-based Burnham Benefits Insurance Services, explained 5 of the top 10 benefits trends in 2011. Today, the rest of her top 10, and a new resource for 2011 that you’ll be turning to over and over throughout the year.