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Americans With Disabilities Act: New Ruling Examines Standards For Refusing To Employ Workers Who May Be At Risk For Injury

An employee has a history of fainting spells, and you’re worried that during one of these episodes the person may injure herself or another worker. What are your options? Although the Americans with Disabilities Act allows you to fire or refuse to hire an employee who poses a “direct threat” to herself or others, a […]

Feds Team Up With States to Increase Heat on Employee Misclassification

Using independent contractors is a way to avoid paying unemployment, Social Security and Medicare taxes, overtime and  benefits. However, if an employer is found liable of misclassifying an employee in tandem with committing wage and hour violations, DOL may fine the employer, and the employer may be assessed back wages and taxes. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) […]

Health & Safety: New First-Aid Guide Available from OSHA

Federal OSHA has published a new guide to help employers develop and implement an effective first-aid program. The “Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program” lists the primary components of a workplace first-aid program at the workplace, including: identifying and assessing workplace risks, designing a program specific to the worksite and complying with […]

Latest Data Shows Rise in 401(k) Assets; Equities Still Dominate

The average 401(k) account balance at the end of 2012 was 8.4 percent higher than the year before, but increased assets weren’t typical for all defined contribution plan participants studied, according to a December 2013 brief by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. While equity investments through stock mutual funds comprised the bulk of 401(k) assets […]

NLRB Settles Facebook Case

Late last year, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) came after a Connecticut employer, claiming that it had illegally fired an employee over comments she made about her supervisor on Facebook.

News Notes: Electronics Retailer Settles Overtime Misclassification Lawsuit

Video game retailer Electronics Boutique of America has agreed to pay $950,000 to settle a lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles court charging the company misclassified managers in the retailer’s California stores as exempt from overtime. The lawsuit charged that managers regularly worked overtime without additional pay and spent more than 50 percent of their […]

Should I Offer Ownership to My Key Employees?

One of the most difficult parts of owning a business is finding great employees. Successful business owners know they cannot be everywhere at once and therefore must rely on their key employees. Sometimes retaining key employees becomes vital not only for day-to-day operations but also for the future success of the business. This drives many […]

Are New Hires Scoping Out Your Restrooms?

Looking for top talent? Forget about perks and benefits, you may want to check out your workplace restrooms! A recent survey suggests that most American workers (83 percent) believe the condition of a workplace restroom is one indicator of how a company values its workforce. Thankfully, 66 percent of employees rate their workplace restroom as […]