Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady My recent column “Software Police: Best Way to Curb Webslackers?” generated interesting opinions. Most agreed that webslacking is an insidious problem, but two said to hold off on that monitoring—it’s no good for morale. Here’s a sampling of readers’ reactions: It is akin to an addiction “The problem […]
According to a new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, union membership in 2002 sank to its lowest level in 20 years. In 2002, 13.2% of workers were union members, down from 13.4% in 2001 and a high of 20.1% in 1983, the first year for which comparable data are available. More than 2.5 million […]
It’s hard to believe but 2009 is coming to an end. For many, 2009 can’t be over soon enough. For most businesses, it has been a challenging year. And while we’ve seen a rebound in the stock market, most companies are reporting earnings that, while they beat analysts’ estimates, are still significantly less than they […]
HR managers get blindsided often enough, but that shouldn’t happen with retaliation claims, says attorney Judith A. Moldover, because you can see them coming. Who feels good about someone complaining about them? No one, so it’s simply human nature to retaliate, says attorney Judith Muldover of the New York City law firm of Ford and […]
Both the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) often apply to employees who are seriously ill or injured. When this happens, employers may be required to grant leave to the employee under both laws. What are employees legally required to provide?
Which is worst for a participant’s 401(k) savings: (a) plan loan defaults; (b) hardship withdrawals; or (c) cashouts upon job change? It turns out to be (c), especially for young employees and about one-fifth of those in the lowest income quartile, the Employee Benefit Research Institute concluded in a new analysis. The effect from the […]
How the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will identify benchmark plans that would set the standard for essential health benefits under health reform was described in a final rule issued July 23. This is important because policies sold on health insurance exchanges — for individuals and for small groups — must cover the […]
by Javier F. Garcia Washington’s new law concerning recreational marijuana use takes effect December 6, but it doesn’t require changes in employer policies. Initiative 502 (I-502), approved in the November 6 election, is intended to make the production and sale of marijuana a regulated, state-licensed system similar to that for controlling hard alcohol. It means […]
By Susan G. Fentin, Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C In another of what promises to be a long line of cases in which courts consider whether working managers have been properly classified as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit—which covers Maine, Massachusetts, […]
The new season of The Office starts Thursday. The first episode is entitled “Weight Loss,” and the promo features Michael in some sort of fat suit. I can already see we’re going to have some issues. On the bright side, Michael and the new HR gal Holly are apparently going to continue developing their friendly […]