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Guess Whose Employees are Growing a Garden!

It sounds like a trick question. Guess whose employees are growing a garden? It just couldn’t be, but it is—the workers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)! Agency employees across the country are growing gardens and distributing the harvest to food banks and shelters. “USDA created the People’s Garden Initiative 3 years ago, and […]

First On the Chopping Block: When Cursing Out The Boss Loses Its Protection

In September, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) added another chapter to a long-running tug-of-war: When can an employer discipline a worker who blows up at management (sometimes with profanity) while also engaging in “concerted activity” (e.g., employees banding together to raise concerns about pay, safety, or working conditions)? NLRB Back-and-Forth In Lion Elastomers, the […]

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NYC Park Rangers May Be Owed Pay for Donning and Doffing, Says U.S. Appeals Court

by Angelo D. Catalano, Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a broad federal law that establishes the federal minimum wage, overtime pay requirements, and a plethora of other compensation-related standards. The Act provides guidance on what is and is not compensable work time. One of the questions that continues to […]

If There’s a Sneaky Way Around a Tech Policy, Your Employees Will Find It

Make sure your employees know the “whys” behind your tech policies. Otherwise, they’ll find ways to work around them — and may even bring your system down in the process. According to Lisa Guerin, author of Smart Policies for Workplace Technologies, you must explain the policies you write about technology. If your employees don’t see […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on November 9. 1. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (P.S.) by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. A maverick scholar and a journalist apply economic theory to everything from cheating sumo […]

Holiday Parties Are All the Rage in 2005

According to a new survey by HR consulting firm Hewitt Associates, almost three-quarters (74 percent) of employers are planning to host a party for employees this holiday season. Twenty-seven percent of these employers plan to spend $5,000 or less on their parties, 30 percent will pay between $5,000 and $20,000, and 15 percent will spend […]

U.S. Employers Preparing for Avian Flu, Survey Shows

According to a recent survey by consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide, 15 percent of multinational companies operating in the United States already have a plan in place in the event of an avian flu outbreak. The survey of 90 multinational companies also found that 48 percent of companies operating in the United States are considering […]

Consumer Cost Negotiation: Holy Grail of Health Care Cost Control

Yesterday’s Advisor presented  Andrew Ceccon’s first five steps for helping employees be better ( and less expensive) healthcare consumers. Today, steps six and seven, plus an introduction to the program that helps companies set up wellness programs with great ROIs. Ceccon, former chief marketing officer at A.D.A.M., a provider of healthcare content and benefits tools […]