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Travel Time Pay: When Must An Employee Be Paid For Commute Time?

Travel time pay can be a tricky thing to master, and the issue is fraught with risk since travel-related issues in particular pose a significant risk for wage and hour claims. One question that comes up a lot is whether or not time spent traveling to work is considered compensable work time. The FLSA established […]

House Nod on Repealing OTC Rules, Easing ‘Use-it-or-Lose-it’

The rules on how expenditures for over-the-counter drugs are reimbursed and governing health flexible spending account balances still unused at the end of the year could change if a bill the House passed on June 7 is enacted. In a 270-146 vote, the House approved H.R. 436, the Health Care Cost Reduction Act of 2012. […]

Keeping Older Workers Engaged

The logic of engagement is simple for HR managers and recruiters: If you keep employees engaged, you don’t have to fill as many vacancies. Engagement isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for the various generations in your workforce. Today we’ll focus on how to keep your older workers from wandering off due to lack of engagement.

Was Nurse Immunized from Discipline by Taking FMLA?

By David M. Stevens, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston Employers frequently experience heartburn when employees who have recently taken leave protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) engage in conduct that warrants discipline or even termination. You are rightly concerned about the possibility that an employee in that situation may allege retaliation if you […]

Avoiding Hiring Pitfalls in Canada

By Kate McNeill McCarthy Tetrault We all know that once you hire an employee, you have certain legal obligations to that employee. But what about before you even hire someone? In Canada, job applicants are entitled to certain human rights and common law protections that employers must be aware of in their hiring practices. In […]

Violent Employees: Court Rules Employer Not Automatically Liable For Criminal Assault By Employee; 3-Point Lawsuit Prevention Checklist

Maria D. (as she was referred to in court documents) claimed that late one night as she drove along the Pacific Coast Highway in Southern California, she was pulled over by an on-duty Westec Residential Security guard wearing a uniform and gun. The guard allegedly pointed a spotlight in her face, asked for her license, […]

New DOT Rule Reduces Driving Time for Truckers

A new U.S. Department of Transportation rule reduces the number of hours a truck driver can work within a week. The new final rule, announced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration a few days before Christmas, reflects new research in driver fatigue to make sure truck drivers can get the rest they need to […]

HR Issues were all ‘Downstairs’ at Downton Abbey

Despite the gripping plotlines, HR pros will be hard-pressed to not notice how workplace practices have changed since the days of Downton Abbey. Los Angeles Times writer and LA radio personality Patt Morrison muses in an opinion piece about the workplace history to be learned from watching the new season of “Downton Abbey,” especially since […]

It’s the Customer, Stupid

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 […]