Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
We suspect an employee has stolen proprietary data from us using his iPod. We have suspicions but no hard facts. Can we confiscate the iPod? What do we do from here to protect our information? — H.F. in South Gate
Since the workers’ compensation reforms of 2003, most California employers have seen a steady and welcome decline in their workers’ comp insurance premiums. But rates may be headed in the other direction starting in 2009.
A number of bills that would significantly impact employers are pending in Washington.
We’re reviewing our interviewing practices. Are there any good questions you recommend we ask applicants?
Seattle’s new law requiring paid sick and safe time leave is set to take effect September 1, and the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) has published final rules defining some of the responsibilities of employers that have employees working in Seattle. Read Seattle’s new sick and safe time rules The law means that employees […]
By Mark I. Schickman California employers have been waiting since October 2008 for the California Supreme Court to issue its ruling in the Brinker Restaurant case, clarifying whether employers must “ensure” that employees take meal and rest breaks or simply “provide” those breaks. Today, the court unanimously served up a major victory to California employers […]
Government audits, participant lawsuits and the dreaded play-or-pay rule could heap liability and risk on employer plans, all as a result of the reform law that was just affirmed by a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court. Employers must take into account new liabilities when they move workers to part-time status or divert retirees into […]
In a recent survey, employees saw their workplaces sadly lacking in organizational teamwork. Here are some ideas from a new BLR audio training program that your supervisors can use to build effective teams. Regular Daily Advisor readers know that we’ve recently been heavily involved in a project called the National Employee Attitude Survey (NEAS). The […]
November 11, 2010 Employers are not required to pay employees for time spent during bona fide meal periods. Bona fide meal periods are ordinarily breaks that last at least 30 minutes, but they may be shorter under special conditions. They do not include coffee or snack breaks; these are rest periods that may have to […]
Revised workplace ergonomics rules may be adopted as early as the April 17, 1997 meeting of the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. We reported in February that California’s ergonomics rules had to be scrapped and rewritten to be less confusing. The reworded regulations have now been prepared. They aim to clarify these main […]