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Do You Know the 7 Steps of OSHA’s Training Guidelines?

Step 1. Determine if training is necessary. How do you know what training is necessary—or whether training is needed at all? Before you can answer that question, you have to ask yourself: Does an OSHA regulation or other law mandate safety training? Has there been an increase in workplace accidents recently? Are new processes, procedures, […]

5 Steps to Transform a Toxic Company Culture

A toxic company culture doesn’t announce itself with a neon sign. It festers quietly—through whispered complaints in break rooms, passive-aggressive emails, or the slow drip of disengagement that turns talented employees into clock-watchers who can’t wait to bolt. Left unchecked, it’s a silent killer of innovation, productivity, and morale. But even the most poisonous workplace […]

recruiting

AI’s Growing Role as a Gatekeeper for Job Applicants

There have always been gatekeepers in the job application process. Applicants might be afraid that a résumé screener sitting at a desk will discard their application because of an errant typo. Or, jobseekers in the first round of an interview with a company may feel like the HR recruiter just doesn’t seem to like them.

list

‘To-Do List Bankruptcy’

A to-do list can be a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, a to-do list helps people get and stay organized and avoid neglecting important tasks. Additionally, being able to cross an item off your to-do list can be quite fulfilling. On the other hand, a to-do list can be a significant source […]

COBRA

ARPA COBRA Subsidy 101

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) has some new rules related to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Any employer that has a health plan subject to COBRA should be aware of these changes. Let’s take a look at the basics of what ARPA will implement.

culture

5 Ways Warby Parker Focuses on the Employee Life Cycle

There’s a difference between a job and a career. Even within an organization, employees want to have opportunities for growth, development, and career advancement. Getting in at the ground level of a business seems, to many, like a great opportunity to do just that. Unfortunately, in an article for First Round Review, the authors argue […]

Employee’s Personal Social Media Account May Create Hostile Work Environment

Workers continue to find new ways to create potential hostile work environment liability for their employers under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In June 2023, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to employers in all the states covered by West Employment Law Letter) held that offensive music […]

Top HR Concerns of American HR Executives

Human resources is an ever-changing field where new challenges emerge time and again. The shift in work patterns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and focus on racial and social justice in broader society are just two recent examples. According to the HR Policy Association’s Annual Membership Survey, which saw a one-third response rate, there are […]

Continuing Insurance Coverage Through FMLA, Extended Leaves, and Terminations

As many employers discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most complex components of leave can be whether an employee’s health insurance is continued throughout the leave or whether, according to the health insurance contract, it ends if an employee doesn’t meet certain minimum weekly hours worked. Issues of this type can occur during […]

Pay Equity Laws 101

Providing equal pay for equal work to employees has been an ongoing concern for decades. Employers need to be particularly wary on this point because not only is pay discrimination illegal but also, it’s something that is subject to increased scrutiny right now, both in the media and by regulatory enforcement bodies like the Equal […]