Short Takes: Alcohol
We’re starting to plan our holiday party. Should we hire an outside bartender?
Month: November 2007
Short Takes: Earthquakes
A few employees are worried about “earthquake-proofing” our offices. What can you suggest?
Class Actions: State Supreme Court Limits Enforceability of Class Action Waivers for Arbitration of Overtime Claims; Practical Impact
Discrimination: May We Require English-Only on the Job Because Co-Workers Are Uncomfortable?
What are an employer’s restrictions on requiring employees to speak only English while on the clock? We do business in English, and some employees are insulted when there are private conversations in other languages going on around them. It’s also a problem during breaks and lunch. — Matt P., HR Specialist in Sunnyvale
Compensation: How Do We Calculate Commissions for Final Paychecks?
Many of our workers are compensated through commissions. We have had a lot of trouble calculating their final pay if they leave the company. How do we figure out which commissions they are owed (e.g., for sales that are closed but not yet paid or for sales in which they participated but that haven’t closed)? […]
You’re the Expert: Inappropriate Comments
That radio character, Don Imus, who got fired for his inappropriate comments? I think I’ve got a few Imuses in my company. How do I get the “good ol’ boys” to toe the line and stop with their insensitive jokes and actions?
Bulletin: New law expands whistleblower protection for health care workers
Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed A.B. 632, which bars a health care facility from discriminating or retaliating against patients, employees, facility medical staff, or other health care workers for filing a complaint or grievance, or initiating or participating in an investigation into the facility. Employees who are discriminated against in violation of the law will be […]
Is a Counteoffer a Lose-Lose Proposition?
Yesterday’s issue presented best practices for making counteroffers. But a lot of experts think counteroffers won’t solve the retention problem. We’ll see why, and also look at an extraordinary problem-solver that could help avoid the whole issue. As stated in yesterday’s Advisor, best practices for making counteroffers include digging to find out why the employee […]
Retaliation: Ninth Circuit Rules on ‘Cat’s Paw’ Liability; How to Ensure That One Supervisor’s Bias Doesn’t Taint Another’s Decisions
In an old fable, a monkey convinces an unwitting cat to scoop out chestnuts from a burning fire. As the cat gathers the chestnuts one by one—and burns its paws in the process—the monkey, unbeknownst to the cat, eagerly gobbles them down. Borrowing from this story, courts have used the term “cat’s paw” to describe […]