Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Mark M. Schorr Because of the passage of the Nebraska minimum wage petition initiative in the November general election, the state’s minimum wage will increase to $8 per hour on January 1, 2015. Nebraska employers that employ individuals at or near the minimum wage should take steps to ensure compliance with the new requirement. Also, […]
One would think that if you’re planning to game the system, you should plan on keeping a low profile. But that’s simply not how one California beauty queen decided to play it—and she’s not smiling quite so broadly these days.
Guest Post by: Elaine Quayle Editor Business & Legal Resources, Inc. Ergonomics issues may have been on back burner, but there is new interest in reducing injuries caused by inferior ergonomic practices. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health finds that health problems associated with poor ergonomics compose the most prevalent lost-time injuries and […]
President Barack Obama has signed an executive order raising the minimum wage federal contractors must pay to $10.10 an hour. The White House released a fact sheet ahead of the January 28 State of the Union speech saying Obama would use his executive authority to raise the minimum wage for those working on new federal […]
Immigration issues have added another challenge to conducting your hiring program legally. Here’s a tool to help supervisors follow the rules. If the current debate over the hiring of immigrant workers shows anything, it’s how important it is these days to hire legally. Employment of foreign nationals … on the rise because of labor shortages […]
By Chris Ceplenski, BLR Managing Editor, News “The pendulum for benefits responsibility has swung back over to the employer.” “We saw a drastic rise in enrollment in our high deductible health plan (HDHP) when we renamed it an HSA plan.” “Benchmarking against your competitors is important, but don’t be a copycat.” “Eliminate the benefits-speak and […]
We earlier reported on a new program that makes it easier for employers and benefit plan officials to voluntarily correct certain employee benefit plan violations and avoid enforcement actions and penalties. Now, the Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration has released guidance with FAQs about the VFCP program and useful hypothetical examples. The […]
There has been much research about the effects—whether conscious or unconscious—of certain “indicators” on a job applicant’s résumé. For example, having certain “ethnically identifying” names can lower an applicant’s chances at a job.
The changes promised by the Obama administration are beginning to take hold at the federal agencies regulating the workplace. Typically, the change in leadership can be a strong predictor of the changes in policies and directions that will be pursued by a new administration. Not surprisingly, the changes that already have occurred suggest that we […]