Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
What should an employer do when an FMLA certification form is received that is unclear? Perhaps it's filled out completely, but the handwriting is illegible in some places. Or perhaps it appears as though it may have been filled out by someone other than the person who signed it. What actions can be taken without […]
I’m sitting in the airport in Austin, Texas, and the faint and rare sound of a bagpipe can be heard in the background. It seems, at the very least, out of place in a major-city airport. As the sound grows louder, it’s clear that whoever is playing the instrument is drawing closer. In the distance, […]
by John R. Merinar, Jr., and Carolyn A. Wade A new West Virginia law taking effect June 4 means employers in the Mountain State must make reasonable accommodations to a job applicant’s or employee’s known limitations involving pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act amends the West Virginia Human Rights Act. […]
by Connor Beatty Maine lobstermen, paralegals, and college football players may not initially strike you as the type of workers who would join a union. Yet, in the past year, each group has taken steps toward unionizing, highlighting the trend of the modern union with organized labor branching out into previously unimagined industries. Why would […]
Metrics let people make decisions based on objective information rather than simply guessing or going by instinct. Metrics also let people know what is important to the organization, since a metric that is tracked will be analyzed. HR metrics have historically often focused on the past. For example, HR metrics often include things like turnover […]
A self-insured employer that explicitly excludes same-gender spouses from health plan coverage did not violate ERISA’s benefit interference or fiduciary breach provisions by having such exclusionary language, a federal district court in New York ruled. A same-gender couple had argued that, in light of U.S. v. Windsor, because the plan declined to cover the spouse, the employer interfered […]
9 Thinks You MUST NOT Include in Your Documentation Yesterday’s Advisor presented Attorney Franck Wobst’s key things you should include in documentation. Today, 9 things not to include, plus an introduction to Employee Compensation in Your State. Crimson Tide Coach Offers Seven Lessons for Every Manager Some of you might get tired of my use […]
by Amy Kunkel-Patterson The Seattle employment community is abuzz about the prospect of a $15 minimum wage for all Seattle employees, which would make it the highest minimum wage in the nation. The idea isn’t new. In the fall of 2013, voters in the city of SeaTac passed a $15 minimum wage initiative, and Kshama […]
May is Electrical Safety Month, so this is a great time to give your workers this handy reminder of electric safety best practices. Electrical Safety Do’s and Don’ts Checklist DO: Check wiring to make sure it’s properly insulated and the right choice for the job (e.g., labeled for use outdoors or in work areas with […]
Did you know that unclaimed wages must be turned over to the state? There are unclaimed property laws in each state requiring employers to report on unclaimed wages and eventually turn them over to the state after a period of dormancy if they remain unclaimed.