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New Jersey vote puts minimum wage hikes in state constitution

by Tammy Binford The ballot question making changes to New Jersey’s minimum wage was presented to voters in the November 5 election and passed easily, but many business leaders are uneasy about the change. By a 60-40 percent vote, voters passed Public Question 2, which will raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25 […]

The Positives of Job Descriptions … And How to Get Them Without the Work (Part 2 of 2)

Done right, a solid job descriptions program can bring your company structure and efficiency. Here’s how to get the benefits, while avoiding most of the costs. A recent Advisor article stated the views of an author who believes that job descriptions should be eliminated in preference to having a program that’s poorly done. A haphazardly-built […]

Appealing Employment Tribunal Decisions May Be Easier

McCarthy Tetrault A recent decision by the Supreme Court of Canada may make it easier for employees and employers to appeal decisions of administrative agencies to the courts. In Canada, and from an HR perspective, such agencies include labor boards, labor arbitrators, human rights tribunals, pay equity tribunals, and employment standards adjudicators. Imagine an employee […]

News Notes: September 2004

New Paid Family Leave Regulations Released As most California employers know, the new Paid Family Leave (PFL) law kicked into action this summer, providing partial wage-replacement benefits for workers who take time off to care for a seriously ill family member or bond with a new child. At the same time, the state Employment Development […]

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Small Tip Pool Violation Creates Big Headache for Employer

A recent U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) settlement serves as a reminder for employers with tipped employees: you cannot require workers to share tips with nontipped staff. Doing so can leave an employer liable not only for the misappropriated tips, but also—because of a provision in the law—for back minimum wage and overtime payments that […]

Employment Law Tip: Keeping the Focus During the Holidays

According to the results of a new poll by Accountemps, most employees get distracted and are less productive during the holiday season. The poll included responses from HR, finance, and marketing executives at the country’s 1,000 largest companies. Forty-four percent of executives polled said their employees are less productive the week before a major holiday, […]

The New Reality of Worksite Enforcement: Navigating I-9 and E-Verify Shifts in 2026

For many HR and compliance leaders, the past year has been a lesson in volatility across the I-9 and E-Verify landscape. The speculation that defined early 2025 has given way to a more dynamic environment where the risks of I-9 errors and potential liability are increasingly tangible. From the return of visible worksite enforcement to […]

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Behavioral Questions Help Screen Potential Employees

The process of assessing and diagnosing mental health issues in a potential employee is complicated. Certain questions can offer valuable information about an individual’s behavior and reactions to work situations.

Oh, How I Love a Good Off-Site Meeting

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Business meetings and business travel have been getting a lot of bad press the last few months, led by the poster child for bad PR, the much-maligned, beaten-and-battered insurance giant, AIG. But BLR’s CEO Bob Brady finds value in getting off-site. Faced with tough economic times, BLR has […]

Recognition: The Secret to Retaining Top Employees

How much does employee turnover cost American business each year? According to the DOL, about $5 trillion, says Mike Byam, author of The WOW! Workplace. Fortunately, he adds, effective recognition strategies can help keep turnover at bay. Byam, who is managing partner at the employee recognition firm The Terryberry Company, offers eight keys to successful […]