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Congress Introduces ‘No Robot Bosses Act’

On December 3, a bipartisan group of legislators led by Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced legislation that would prohibit employers from relying solely on automated decision-making systems to make employment-related decisions. HR 6371, known as the No Robot Bosses Act, would mandate that employers include human oversight when they use automated decision-making software, that they […]

Preventing Unauthorized Overtime by Employees Working From Home

In a society that’s increasingly dependent on technology, it’s important to consider some of the problems that could arise for technologically savvy employees who are allowed to work from home. Some employees who work away from the office by using devices like laptop computers, BlackBerries®, iPhones®, cell phones, and pagers will claim they worked overtime […]

Can We Use the ‘Faltering Company’ Exception for Layoffs?

Normally, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) requires 60 days advance notice of a layoff, but there are several exceptions, including the “Faltering Company” exception. Well, we’re faltering, you may think, so we don’t have to worry about WARN, but it’s not as simple as that. Exceptions to the WARN Act Notice […]

Prayer breaks present difficult religious accommodation issues

by Steven T. Collis Recent news stories describe the tension between Muslim workers seeking multiple prayer breaks at specified times throughout their workday and employers that need those workers on the assembly line. Many Muslim employees have walked off the job, claiming their prayer break requests have been unlawfully denied. With so much coverage of […]

Unclaimed Wages: The Due Diligence Requirement

Did you know that unclaimed wages must be turned over to the state? There are unclaimed property laws in each state requiring employers to report on unclaimed wages and eventually turn them over to the state after a period of dormancy if they remain unclaimed.

Counter Offer Concerns—For Both Employee vs. Employer

The Employer’s Concerns There are a number of concerns that management has when contemplating counteroffers: The offer as a precedent. What will be the effect on corporate compensation and benefits and perks programs. Will the counteroffer throw all those programs into disarray? Lack of privacy—transparency. Privacy is generally not an option—the work will get out. […]

Health Insurance Discounts for Employees Who Don’t Use Tobacco

by Sally J. Reynolds Each year thousands of Americans resolve to quit smoking, but most will be unsuccessful. Some employers have begun implementing financial incentives to motivate their health plan participants to stop using tobacco. One type of reward may be a discount on health insurance premiums for employees who don’t use tobacco or are […]

Defamation Claims: Employer Dodges Lawsuit By Employee Wrongfully Accused Of Theft; 3 Defensive Strategies

Whenever you discipline or terminate an employee for misconduct, you open yourself up to the possibility of a defamation lawsuit if you say something negative about the person to other employees. But as a recent case shows, exercising caution in internal discussions about a worker’s wrongdoing can help keep you out of trouble, or provide […]

teambuilding

Millennials as Servant Leaders in the Workplace

According to Pew Research, Millennials make up most of the current U.S. labor force. And as they advance in their careers and take on more leadership roles, it’s becoming apparent that they’ll prefer to adopt servant leadership styles by fairly wide margins.

Don’t Leave Your Success to Fate

Over the weekend, I watched a movie with my wife. I won’t say which movie because my guy friends will make fun of me. But in my defense, this past weekend included Valentine’s Day. Anyway, the movie talked a lot about fate and destiny and got me thinking about how much of what happens to […]