Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
According to a recent Forbes Advisor study, 40% of Americans plan to travel more in 2024, which means employees may request more time off from work than usual. This is a concern for many workplaces as time off requests and management can put a strain on an entire company. In this week’s HR Query, Tiffany […]
Question: What’s the minimum amount of time we can require exempt employees to use their paid time off (PTO)? Under our benefits policy, a half day (four-hour deductions) for exempt employees is usually OK, and our nonexempt employees can take PTO one hour at a time, but could we require a similar two-hour increment for […]
Summertime brings warm weather, planned vacations, and a number of state and federally recognized holidays. While long holiday weekends are often a time for celebration, cookouts, and a break from the typical 9-to-5, they also play an important role in calculating Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) […]
The fundamental premise of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is that all employees are covered by its base requirements. This includes being paid minimum wage for every hour worked and time and one-half for all overtime. The FLSA is a statute of inclusion, which means all employees are covered unless they fit within specific, […]
In today’s work environment, U.S. employees are experiencing increasing levels of stress and burnout due to longer workweeks, the labor shortage, the return of time-consuming commutes, increased responsibilities post-COVID and other similar issues that can impact mental and physical health. A recent report released by LLC.org ranked the top 30 “Most Stressful Cities to Work […]
In today’s workplace, work-life balance, flexibility, psychological safety, and advocacy for mental health and well-being are all signs of a positive culture. With employee burnout at a record high, organizations are looking for new ways to keep their employees productive, happy, and stress-free. Fortunately, organizations already a tool they can utilize: paid time off (PTO). […]
A common question from employers is whether they can use a “comp-time” system instead of making monetary overtime payments. The answer (unless you are a public-sector employer) is almost always “no.” A company in Asheville found that out the hard way when it was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for alleged failure […]
Although we all look forward to taking our well-earned vacation time, in reality, taking time off isn’t always easy. In our fast-paced, interconnected world where work can follow you on your smartphone, or even smartwatch, everywhere you go, it can be hard to truly unplug and relax. But balancing your work and home life is […]
In this post-COVID-19 era of the Great Resignation and “quiet quitting,” one of the newest ideas for attracting and retaining employees is one that was usually limited to professors in higher education: the sabbatical.
While most employees take Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave for legitimate qualifying reasons and use it appropriately, we all know about occasions when they abuse the Act. Read on to learn more about how to combat FMLA fraud.