Most Popular

Faces of HR: Patty Bedard on Leading with Empathy, Compassion and Your Authentic Self

Patty Bedard spent the early years of her career working as an operator in the restaurant business. Not long after, she transitioned to the corporate side of business, leading a management university. From there, she joined Hilton Worldwide, and for nearly a decade, she held a myriad of leadership roles driving human capital strategic initiatives. […]

Timing Matters: Employee Fired During FMLA Leave for Months-Old Problems

Though the following case is still in its infancy, it tees up several common concerns in employment litigation. A new supervisor arrives on the scene and starts pointing out performance problems for the first time (calling into question the veracity of the critique). The employee goes out on leave for medical conditions. The employer decides […]

Office Etiquette: What Was Unacceptable Is Now Mostly Fine

Remember when having non-traditional hair colors made someone unemployable at most places? Things have changed quite a bit with the passage of time. New research shows exactly what managers in the U.S. think of everything etiquette related, from pets in the workplace to visible tattoos.

Idaho At-Will Employees Have Standing to Sue Employer for Fraudulent Hiring

The Idaho Supreme Court recently rendered a decision highlighting an important distinction between wrongful discharge and “fraudulent hiring,” the latter of which allows at-will employees to sue their former employer. Background Employment in Idaho is presumed to be “at-will” unless contractually stated otherwise. In other words, with very few exceptions, an employment relationship has no […]

Employer’s COBRA Notice Missteps Mean it Must Provide Retiree with Retroactive Coverage, Pay Statutory Penalties

Employers that provide retiree medical coverage for certain employees need to carefully consider how to integrate that retiree medical coverage with continuation coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Many employers assume that if retirees receive retiree medical coverage at subsidized rates (or even for free), then no COBRA coverage has to be […]

Retirement Benefits 2013—What’s Really Happening?

Please participate in our brief survey and see how your retirement benefits stack up against those of other successful companies. We’ll get answers to these questions and more: What is the status of your employer match? (Stopped? Less? Same?) What percent of employees participate? What percent do you match? Can employees “cash out” vacation to […]

Religion in the Workplace: Employer’s Refusal to Permit Employee to Attend Jehovah’s Witness Convention Leads to Liability

In a new California appeals court decision, an employer learned the hard way about the obligation to accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs and practices—even if they conflict with work obligations. Request to Attend Religious Convention Lester Young, a Jehovah’s Witness, worked for Gemini Aluminum Corp. in Pomona. Young had attended a church convention almost every […]

The Rise of the 4-Day Workweek                                                      

The decade ahead will likely be known for innovations we haven’t even imagined yet. In the workplace, it may be known for the rise of a new way of scheduling employees: the 4-day workweek. As overwork has become a chronic issue, entire countries have started piloting and testing shorter workweeks. Between 2015 and 2019, Iceland […]