Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Yesterday’s Advisor offered the first 7 of attorney W. Melvin Haas’s tips for combating FMLA abuse. Today, the rest of his tips, plus an introduction to the book many call “the FMLA Bible.” IHaas is managing member at the Macon, Georgia office of Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLC. [Go here for tips 1 to 7] […]
As an employer, you’re allowed to require an employee to provide certification of the need for requested medical leave. But the details of obtaining these certifications can get tricky.
Fifteen years ago, country singer Toby Keith had a number one hit with his song “I Wanna Talk About Me.” The chorus of the song goes like this:
(Updated Dec. 30, 2009) Q. We have an employee who works as an administrative assistant. She was recently in a car accident and injured her arm, hand, and wrist. Her main job duty is to transcribe documents. That often requires her to type for hours at a time. She also is responsible for taking handwritten […]
Avoiding discrimination lawsuits is a matter of understanding the key issues and acting to prevent them. A sister publication has provided guidance on both. This week marks the 65th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack that drew the United States into World War II. It also marks one of the most shameful episodes of that […]
A federal district court judge on Aug. 12 dismissed a suit by current and former employees of a Maryland construction company who alleged that the company failed to comply with ERISA disclosure requirements and to provide retirement plan documents upon request because the Spanish-speaking plaintiffs couldn’t understand the English documents. ERISA requires that plan sponsors […]
There’s not much in HR as frustrating as dealing with FMLA leaves. And the new military leave requirements have made it all the more complex. How to cope? Start with a clear and thorough policy, says attorney Stacie Caraway. Communication is the Key Caraway reminds employers that communicating these rules is key to successfully managing […]
The issue of how employers should handle same-sex marriage got a bit murkier November 6 as a divided appeals court panel broke with rulings from four other U.S. circuit courts of appeals by upholding state bans on same-sex marriage. A three-judge panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the 2-1 decision, which […]
Make sure employees know the “why” behind your tech policies, says attorney Lisa Guerin. Otherwise, they’ll find workarounds that could confound—or bring down—your systems. Guerin’s tips come from her recently published book, Smart Policies for Workplace Technologies (NOLO, 2009). She says that you must explain the policies you write about technology. If your employees don’t […]
Telecommuting is attractive to many workers, and it’s no surprise. What is a surprise is how many of them are suing their employers. That’s right, suing. Over wage and hour issues. Over reimbursement of travel costs on days they do have to come in. Even over safety matters. The lawsuits are neither small nor cheap. […]