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With Joint Employer Rule Blocked, Look for Trouble Ahead on New Contractor Rule

Employers worried about the effect of a new joint employer rule are breathing a sigh of relief after a court blocked its implementation, and now employers using independent contractors may also be feeling better. A new rule from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) would have made it harder for employers to avoid joint employment […]

An Intriguing Wellness Program that Really Works

Wellness tip: Change the machines so that soda is $2.50 and water is 50 cents, says wellness expert Karl Ahlrichs. In today’s Advisor, he details some solid wellness results. First, says Ahlrichs, a consultant and business developer with Gregory & Appel in Indianapolis, Indiana, here’s just one example of why wellness is failing: Getting more […]

FMLA Leave: Expert Answers Employer’s Questions

Administering FMLA leave is not always a simple task. Sometimes even the simplest questions become complex, such as how long is a week of FMLA leave when it’s taken in hours instead of in a full block of time? Do FMLA medical certifications expire? What certification can be requested when an employee is taking FMLA […]

healthcare

How to Enhance Your Healthcare Offerings in a Tight Labor Market

The post-pandemic race is on to attract new employees—and as HR and finance executives both know, the solution can’t always be higher wages. Fortunately, other factors still mean a lot to jobseekers in the revived economy. Casual Fridays and office snack bars may help, but as research shows, health insurance is still at or near […]

Wage and Hour: What Are the Pros and Cons of Classifying Salaried Employees as “Salaried Nonexempt?”

Our VP of HR wants me to evaluate whether we should consider applying “salaried nonexempt” status to some of our nonexempt employees. I’m having trouble nailing down exactly why a company would choose to do this, and also, how it would work. I understand that the employees still get overtime, so what’s the point? — […]

Talking to Your CFO—Critical Skill

HR tends to avoid CFOs and knows little about them, says consultant Karl J. Ahlrichs, SPHR. CFOs are often reclusive and cautious, but you are not going to be successful if you can’t sell ideas to the CFO. Why is the relationship with the CFO so important? CFOs often have the final approval of HR/compensation […]

employee benefits

Employer Perspective: How Voluntary Benefits Can Help Your Business Compete for Talent

Employers’ goals for voluntary benefits —increasingly a core component of any employer’s benefit package that allows employees to self-select from a menu of offerings, typically at reduced or increasingly no cost — have expanded dramatically since 2020. According to Buck’s 2022 Wellbeing and Voluntary Benefits Survey, half of all employers (52%) have added offerings in […]

breastfeeding

Ask the Expert: How Often Can Nursing Employees Take Breaks Under the PUMP Act?

Question: How frequently can a nursing mother take breaks under the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act? For example, although the law requires “reasonable break time,” what if an employee needs to pump every 30 minutes or every hour? Answer: It depends. The PUMP Act requires employers to provide covered employees “reasonable break […]

Use Real-Time Analytics and Coaching to Vastly Improve Call Center Agent Performance

A study from KPMG noted high employee engagement levels correlated directly to an average of 19.2% increase in improved operating incomes, and conversely those companies with low levels saw declines of 32.7%. Within call centers it’s essential to develop engaged employees that can speak to customers with empathy and politeness while also knowing how to […]