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California employee misses rest break or meal period: What happens?

What are the consequences for a California employer if an employee misses meal periods or rest breaks? The primary consequence is that premium pay is now due. Premium pay is assessed at one hour of regular wages for each day in which there is a violation. In addition to the premium pay penalty, there are […]

EEOC Issues Helpful (!) Guidance on Religious Garb and Grooming in the Workplace

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued helpful guidance on how federal employment discrimination law applies to religious dress and grooming practices. Here are highlights of the guidance. In most instances, federal law requires employers to make exceptions to their usual rules or preferences to permit applicants and employees to observe religious dress […]

The Boomer-Gen Z Shift: Strategies for a Multigenerational Workforce

The workplace is undergoing a profound transformation. For the first time in history, Gen Z now outnumbers Baby Boomers in the workforce, signaling a generational shift with wide-ranging implications. Yet, as Boomers begin to transition out of full-time roles, their contributions remain vital. With decades of institutional knowledge, industry expertise, and leadership skills, Boomers are […]

Employer Needn’t Hire Assistant as Reasonable Accommodation

An employer was not required to provide a full-time assistant to a worker with disabilities as an ADA accommodation, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reaffirmed in Williams v. Revco Discount Drug Centers, Inc., d.b.a. CVS Pharmacy, Inc., No. 13-11673 (11th Cir. Jan. 14, 2014). Weldon Williams, a CVS pharmacist, filed suit against […]

company culture

Post-Pandemic Office Reorientation

As staff start returning to the office, is it time for companies to consider implementing mandatory re­orientation programs? As the United States continues its nationwide vaccination efforts, states and cities across the country are starting to open up, relaxing capacity limits on indoor spaces, removing mask requirements, and allowing larger events. This also means that […]

New NLRB Election Procedures in Effect for Union Elections

In August 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (the “NLRB” or the “Board”) significantly changed its procedures when employees are seeking representation by a union. First, the Board enacted its “Representation-Case Procedures” rule or “2023 Election Rule,” which, among other changes, expedites the timing of an election after a petition for election has been filed. […]

Soft skills

Mastering the Art of Soft Skills Assessment in Recruitment

As technology, including emerging tools like generative AI, continues to advance and replace many tasks once performed by humans, a common theme has emerged among employers when asked what kinds of aptitudes they expect and seek out among their workers: soft skills. While a spreadsheet tool can crunch numbers more effectively than any human and […]

The Importance of Cross-Training

Companies want their employees to be effective at and knowledgeable about their jobs, and many managers try to remove ancillary activities from employees’ plates to allow them to focus on their core job functions. For example, companies hire administrative staff so their managers, accountants, lawyers, etc., don’t need to spend time scheduling meetings or routing […]

Faces of HR: Jeff Ostermann on His Best Mistake, Seizing the Moment, & Making a Positive Impact

Before Jeff Ostermann got his start in the HR industry, he held various finance and business leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies. Now with nearly three years of skin in the HR industry, Ostermann says stepping into a Chief People Officer role was a “natural evolution.” “Throughout my prior business career, I had always been […]

4 Ways Companies Can Increase Diversity in the Workforce Today

Since last summer’s protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, many of the biggest public companies in the United States have pledged to increase black and minority representation. Yet a recent diversity study of the technology industry found companies that made statements in support of Black Lives Matter had 20% fewer black employees […]