Category: HR Hero Line

HR best practices, employment law tips, news and analysis, Q&As, and lessons learned from the courtroom.

Does your organization suffer from ‘hiring snooze’?

by Samuel D. Kerr We’ve all heard the common saying “You snooze, you lose.” Put another way, if you don’t pay attention and do something right away, someone else will do it before you can and enjoy the benefit. Taking too long to complete the hiring process can have the same effect.  Laws that may […]

FMLA

Ivanka Trump, senators advance ideas on paid family leave

by Tammy Binford As the idea to make paid family leave mandatory continues to gain attention, employers may be wondering what various paid leave proposals might mean for their businesses. A June 20 meeting between first daughter and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and a handful of senators doesn’t draw a clear picture of what may […]

ATK curdles its executive transition

by Mark I. Schickman We wrote last May about the kerfuffle between ABC-TV and Kelly Ripa when the network moved Live! with Kelly and Michael cohost Michael Strahan off the show behind her back (see “Pop quiz: Will she be Ripa roaring mad?”). The diminutive Ripa and the global network have since kissed and made […]

hiring

Looking for solutions to the talent gap? Don’t forget legal concerns

Employers in an array of fields lament a shortage of talent. Sometimes employers are able to attract a flood of eager applicants, but few possess the skills and qualities needed. Other times, employers need people for special, short-term projects, and they don’t want to take on full-time, permanent employees to get the job done. No […]

Why employee engagement must be a priority, not an option

by Jimmy Daniel When it comes to your workplace, do you know how many members of your team are truly engaged? On average, U.S. companies have an engagement level of 32%. Basically, one out of three of your team members is engaged. Studies suggest that disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy between $400 billion and […]

Marijuana

Think your drug policy is sound? Better factor in changing marijuana laws

Not so many years ago employers emphasized the importance of drug-free workplace policies—policies that often included zero-tolerance provisions. But as marijuana laws have undergone significant change in recent years, it’s time to give a second look to policies that may not have been updated in years.  Peter Lowe, an attorney with Brann & Isaacson in […]

Workers and grief: What HR needs to consider when employees suffer loss

Knowing what to do when someone suffers the loss of a loved one isn’t easy, especially in the workplace, where some people are open about personal relationships and others strive for separation between their work and personal lives. But no matter an employee’s thinking, certain situations—particularly a death in the family—make explanations at work necessary. […]

FLSA

5 common myths about the FLSA

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that imposes minimum wage, overtime, record-keeping, and child labor requirements. Although the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) enforces the FLSA, employees may file their own lawsuits under the Act. A lawsuit may be an individual action or a collective action, which is similar to a […]

‘Snowflake’ test: Legitimate hiring tactic or invitation for trouble?

Anyone tasked with wading through stacks of resumes and talking to applicants lined up for interviews understands how frustrating and time-consuming hiring can be. It’s understandable that people in charge of hiring crave out-of-the-box solutions. But how far should employers go in their efforts to weed out applicants who clearly won’t be a good fit? […]