Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
We’ve just had a reshuffling of responsibilities, and I ended up with safety. We’re a mid-sized manufacturer. Can you give me some guidelines to help me out as I take over this important new role? — Bill C., HR (and Safety) Manager in Palo Alto
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), crippled by a January court ruling against two recess appointees, has the potential to get back to full strength if the Senate confirms nominations President Barack Obama made April 9. Previous attempts to fill the NLRB have failed over congressional opposition to Board actions and Obama’s nominees. On April […]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that workplace discrimination charge filings increased 15 percent last year to an unprecedented level of 95,402. While the agency stated that it didn’t know if this was a trend, it was an indication of a persistent problem. All of the main categories of charge filings with the […]
One of your employees has a bad back and needs their duties to be modified to allow them to continue to do their job. You make some changes, but the person’s performance deteriorates. As a new California Court of Appeal case makes clear, it’s important to stay proactive by closely monitoring the situation and, if […]
On December 21, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced the adoption of a final rule that is expected to allow quicker union representation elections. The rule was published in the Federal Register on December 22. The rule, which is to take effect on April 30, 2012, is a scaled down version of amendments proposed […]
If attendance at a conference session is any indication, HR professionals remain concerned about how to navigate the intersection of the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Now that the Americans With Disabilities Amendments Act has altered the definition of “disability,” it is more common than ever for the laws […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced on December 1 that it will appeal a court’s injunction temporarily halting its new overtime regulations. A federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas blocked the rules on November 22, calling the regulations “unlawful” and noting that the changes in the rules […]
BLR’s annual survey of benefits shows a slowing in healthcare cost increases, rising deductibles, and a quarter of employers paying their workers serving in the military. The results of BLR’s annual survey of benefits paid by U.S. companies are in. Here’s what they show. And here’s how to get the report sent to you every […]
Plan administrators and employers that offer adoption assistance and long-term care (LTC) insurance need to adjust their plans for 2012 to account for increased amounts that can be excluded from taxable income. The IRS issued the rates for use in 2012 in Revenue Procedure (Rev. Proc.) 2011-52. Adoption Tax Credit The tax credit under Code […]
Special from Atlanta–SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition When people ask Hunter “Please Sue Me” Lott what he does for a living, he usually says he sells insurance.. “If I say, ‘I help companies stay out of court,’ they ask, ‘Are you a lawyer.’” “No, I’m HR,” I say. “That’s worse,” they say; “HR keeps me […]