Month: August 2012

‘Cat’s Paw’ Theory Spurs Court Decision, Proves Doubly Damaging to Employer

A supervisor’s apparent bias in the firing of her employee proved costly in a recent 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling which upheld a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division awarding $413,000 in damages and liquidated damages in an FMLA retaliation claim based on cat’s-paw liability. […]

Top 7 Compensation Daily Advisor Articles 2012: Wage & Hour Edition

Unauthorized Overtime–Must Be Paid Even if Forbidden Many employers have written policies prohibiting unauthorized overtime. Such policies are fine—but you still have to pay employees for all hours they work, even if they have repeatedly violated your policy by working the extra hours. Unannounced WHD Inspector on the Way to Your Office? If you’ve got […]

HR Department Survey Results—How Does Your Department Compare?

HR responsibilities, HR staffing ratios, HR’s strategic role, HR outsourcing, HR reporting relationships and more, it’s all here in the results of our “Your HR Department” survey. How do you match up? See detailed findings below. What Is HR Responsible For? HR covers a lot of territory as the chart shows. No surprise that benefits […]

Distracted driving and HR: What’s the connection?

Headlines abound about tragic car accidents resulting from drivers distracted by cell phones. Many of those reports involve drivers taking calls or texts while they’re on the job. Such tragedies have prompted a number of employers to develop policies aimed at curtailing use of phones while employees are driving. Those tragedies also have prompted juries […]

Dunder Mifflin, We Hardly Knew Ye

It is August 30, 2012, the night of a blue moon, and I’m a bit blue with the news earlier in the week that this will be the last season for The Office. So I thought I’d crack open a Blue Moon (OK, not literally — taking some literary license here) and share some thoughts about […]

Top 8 HR Daily Advisor Articles 2012: E-pinion Edition

Your HR Daily Advisor peers have spoken! Here is a list of the top 8 most popular HR Daily Advisor E-pinion articles so far this year. Read on below for must-read tips on performance evaluations, background checks, and more! Ever Been Arrested or Convicted? … Is It Discriminatory to Ask? EEOC has released guidance on […]

6th Circuit: Mandatory Psychological Counseling is an ADA ‘Medical Exam’

Mandatory mental health counseling is a “medical examination” regulated by the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Therefore, a requirement that an employee undergo such counseling is subject to all of ADA’s rules and restrictions; specifically, one that prohibits employers from requiring medical exams that are not job-related […]

9 Superstar Qualities of ‘A’ Salespeople (and What to Pay)

Anderson, who offered five dangerous weaknesses of sales people in yesterday’s Advisor, is president of the Selling Skills Institute and developer of the proprietary Shift Thinking Selling Methodology. He asks, How many of those weaknesses are represented on your sales team? Look Only for ‘A’ Players “A” players are not a commodity, says Anderson; you’re […]

Train Your Managers with Warner’s Warnings to Avoid Lawsuits

Warner, who is SPHR certified, is the founding partner of Moody and Warner PC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her tips came at the SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition. Train your managers with the following valuable information and practical warnings from Warner. High-Ranking Manager Is the Bad Actor “I like it when a high-ranking manager was […]