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Tough talks for tough situations at work: How to keep calm, get success

Maybe an employee’s performance has gone downhill or someone’s prickly personality is making coworkers miserable. Or maybe a personal hygiene problem requires action. Any number of situations that land in HR’s lap can trigger the need for a difficult conversation. No pat set of instructions exists since each situation is unique, but keeping a few […]

A Cautionary Tale on Arbitration Agreements

The California Court of Appeal recently denied an employer’s appeal of a lower court’s denial of its motion to compel arbitration of a lawsuit filed by a former employee that included claims under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).

reduced schedule leave

Changes May Be in Store for Overtime Rule, FLSA

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) may be in a holding pattern for now, but employers are probably in for some wage and hour changes in the coming months, Tammy D. McCutchen told attendees at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) employment law and legislative conference.

What's Next

ACA ‘Repeal’ Bill Alleviates Many Employer Burdens

Recently proposed legislation affecting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) alleviates much of the law’s burden on employers. And even though the bill will probably face several rounds of changes, the provisions undoing employers’ responsibilities are relatively uncontroversial and will likely be left alone, experts say.

march madness

March Madness Matters in an Employee-Centric World

Employee engagement is a hot topic today. And understandably so: Gallup estimates employee disengagement costs the U.S. $450 billion to $550 billion annually. It’s a fairly basic concept, and we all get it: Engaged employees are good for business—and perhaps most compellingly, bottom lines.

remote

A Shift in Workplaces: 52% of U.S. Employees Work Remotely

The working world has tipped the balance in favor of flexibility. Latest research commissioned by Regus, the flexible workspace provider, shows that over half of workers in the United States now work from outside their company’s main offices for half the week or more. When asked where they work when away from the office, 41% […]

Ask the Expert: Is Need for Sleep Covered by the FMLA?

by Susan Hartmus Hiser, JD, The Murray Law Group, P.C. Question: Our attendance policy requires employees to call in all absences prior to the start of their shift, including absences due to approved intermittent leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Some employees have presented doctors’ notes exempting them from the call-in requirement […]