Month: May 2007

So Now We Know What Your Workers Think of You … And We’re About to Find Out Again!

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Our first National Employee Attitude Survey report showed your workers were getting only about three-fourths of what they want from you.  Well, we’re running it again, starting on February 8, 2008. It’s still free, but you may find the results priceless.  Here’s the article I wrote about last […]

Want to Avoid FLSA Problems? Do a Self-Audit

FLSA violations are now the Department of Labor’s top enforcement target. Here’s how to use a self-audit to stay out of the bull’s-eye. In yesterday’s article on telecommuters suing their employers, most of the legal action described was over the issue of overtime payments. With workers geographically outside the employer’s control, there often is no […]

Season Recap

Total Litigation Value: $6,635,500+ There is no doubt that the crew from Dunder Mifflin (primarily Michael) had some expensive snafus this season. In approximately 20 weeks, Michael managed to out a gay employee; announce his affair with a Vice President at the CFO’s party; invite a pervert dressed as Ben Franklin to an office party; […]

Employment Law Tip: Managing Flextime

A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of staffing firm Adecco USA has found that that 59 percent of working men between the ages of 35 and 44 said flexibility for working mothers causes some resentment among co-workers. What’s more, the survey found, some workers believe flexible schedules negatively affect team dynamics (36 […]

Independent Contractors: New Case Highlights Tax Risks of Misclassification

A new decision from a California Court of Appeals underscores how erroneously classifying workers as independent contractors rather than employees can have serious tax consequences. The case involved a group of courier companies—collectively called Sonic—that classified delivery drivers as independent contractors and reported their pay on 1099 forms. The California Employment Development Department, however, decided […]

Telecommuters: Why They’re Suing Their Employers

Telecommuting may be a dream job, but for employers it can turn into a legal nightmare. Here’s why telecommuters are suing, and how to avoid getting sued. Every day, while most of us are still stuck on the expressway, more than 12 million U.S. employees are already at work, after making the shortest commute it’s […]

Mental Illness in the Workplace: ADA, EAPs, and Other Answers

Depression, anxiety, and other mental conditions in the workplace have both legal (ADA) and human implications. Here are two programs to help deal with them. The recent violence-driven emphasis on dealing with mental health issues in the workplace has again put HR on the spot. How does a company deal with disabilities that are frequently […]

ADA: Are All Workers With Mental Illnesses Covered?

The recent spate of workplace violence has employers wondering what the ADA has to say about workers with mental illness. The answer is … it depends. It’s been a month since the horrific shootings at Virginia Tech and a less-publicized, but equally relevant to employers, hostage situation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. In […]

Imus in the Mourning

by Mark I. Schickman I’ve received lots of e-mails recently about the major conflict still waging over the recent firing of eight U.S. attorneys. You wrote that the U.S. government, as an employer, should be able to fire any employee, so what was wrong if the Attorney General or the President had them fired? That […]