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DOL Takes Critical View of Santa’s Workshop

After a long day, an employment lawyer has just settled his brain for a brief winter’s nap. Suddenly, he hears from his waiting room such a clatter that he rose from his adjustable ergonomic office chair to see what was the matter. As he throws open the door, he sees a plump old elf, who […]

Top 10 Employment Handbook Mistakes

Although most employers at least have an employment handbook, few companies treat it as a priority item. That’s a shame because a handbook presents a wonderful opportunity to communicate with your workforce about your organization’s philosophy, mission, and culture. Companies like Netflix and Nordstrom have demonstrated that handbooks can be effective without being dry and […]

How Do You Establish Effective Metrics for Your Training Program?

“Training is an area that can be difficult to quantify,” Prince says. “However, it may be helpful to look at metrics that target the type of training and what it was intended to accomplish. For instance: Cost of sales training as a percent of total sales; Increase in hours of sales training compared with increases […]

Ask the Expert: Can We Adjust Time Cards for Waiting Time?

Question: My employer uses a “4 -minute rule,” meaning that our employees have an 8-minute window (4 before and 4 after their scheduled time to clock in) without changes being made to their time cards. We do this because there’s a line waiting to clock in. However, for those who are more than the 4 […]

Failure to Accommodate Autistic Worker Ends with Settlement of EEOC Disability Lawsuit

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) prohibit an employer from discriminating against an individual who is (1) disabled within the statutes’ meaning and (2) qualified to perform the essential job functions with or without a reasonable accommodation. Once an employee discloses the need for a reasonable accommodation, […]

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Trends in States Mandating Sick Leave Policies

Paid maternity and family leave has been championed as the next big leap for the U.S.’s workforce, but it’s not the only place we should seek progress. Shockingly, one out of every four employees in the U.S. doesn’t have paid sick leave—a fact that reveals problems that are not being adequately addressed. Taking a sick […]

The Devastating Result of a Single Word

A car wash company provided its employees with a handbook setting forth its employment policies. The handbook was written in both English and Spanish, it required arbitration of employment disputes, and it denied an employee’s right to bring an action under the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). The English version stated that the denial […]

Getting More Employees to Sign Up for Your 401(k)

If you offer a 401(k) for employees, you may have noticed that not nearly all employees who qualify for it have signed up for it. This can be perplexing for employers. After all, this is a benefit to help employees, and it typically reduces their tax burden while helping them save. Yet many employees don’t […]