Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In a recent opinion, the 4th Circuit held that an employee failed to show that his former employer’s stated reason for discharging him was a pretext, or excuse, for retaliation based on his use of leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Mentoring relationships can be extremely effective in the business world. Working closely with, taking cues from, and being guided by the knowledge and experience of someone who has spent a lot of time and achieved great success in your industry or your company can really boost your career—not to mention the potential networking opportunities that […]
It is an understatement, and a cliché, to say that we are all living in very challenging and uncertain times. Of course, it is also abundantly clear. We are.
How can you make smart decisions on pay budgets, merit budgets, and overall compensation given the economic turmoil of the last few years? Consultant David Wudyka tells us what’s going on and what we can do about it. Wudyka is founder and managing principal of Westminster Associates, a Wrentham, MA based, full-service HR and compensation […]
As people start going back to work, what will happen to working mothers who don’t have a place for their children to go because their child care is still closed? What about those who can’t commute or can’t afford to? This conversation needs to start before your doors open.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced thousands of companies to shift millions of employees to remote work across the country. Many employees love the greater independence and flexibility working from home offers. Some of those employees may be anxious to take things a step further and work not just from home but also from a fun, […]
In an increasingly global economy, having staff who can effectively communicate across borders and cultural spheres can be beneficial for engaging with customers, business partners, and local staff. Even within the United States, companies recognize the benefits of bilingual and multilingual staff in an increasingly diverse nation where English is not always the first language […]
by Christian Paquette Did an employer discriminate against a single mother when it required her to work the regular shift rotation job she’d applied for? An Alberta court was recently asked to rule whether an arbitrator was right in deciding against the employer. The court in SMS Equipment Inc. v. CEP, Local 707 agreed that […]
Under federal law, employers with 20 or more employees must offer continued health plan benefits, at the workers’ expense, for a period of time after employment ends. And in California, employers with fewer than 20 employees must also do so. However, under both federal and state regulations, you don’t have to offer this COBRA coverage […]
Employers often use job applications to seek information about candidates’ conviction records. Criminal background checks are often performed before hiring an employee. The reasons for seeking the information seem obvious, but unfortunately, how the information can be used is not. In fact, sometimes it seems employers are stuck in a “holding cell” when it comes […]