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When to Retroactively Designate FMLA Leave

What happens if a manager forgets to inform HR that an employee has absences that could be FMLA-qualifying? Can those absences still be counted against the employee's 12-week FMLA allotment for the year? What about when an employee has an emergency and must take leave immediately but was unable to request it? Can that count […]

Survey Results: Telecommuting Policies and Dress Codes

[For the beginning of the survey report, go here.] Telecommuting Formal telecommuting guidelines are in place and employees are required to sign a formal agreement for 23.8%. An allowance to cover employee expenses for setting up telecommuting at their home is provided by 33.1%, 40.3% reimburse telecommuting employees for monthly Internet connections, and 54.2% reimburse […]

Performance Appraisals—What’s Really Happening?

Performance appraisals—everyone does them, but few think their approach is optimal. What’s happening with appraisals in the real world? What are your competitors up to? Help us find out!   Please participate in our brief survey and see how what you are doing stacks up against what other successful companies are doing. We’ll get answers […]

Conducting internal investigations: avoiding claims of intimidation and coercion

by Randi J. Winter Employers routinely conduct internal investigations in response to allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, theft, and other forms of employee misconduct. Although conducting such investigations can be critical to your continued operations, you should be mindful of the importance of exercising neutrality and fairness during the investigative process.  Be thorough, but fair […]

Perks Survey Results in; How Do You Compare?

Highlights of our 2014 Perks Survey of over 2,000 employers: Paid holidays is the number one perk. Also in the top five: life insurance, LTD, STD, and paid vacation. For exempt employees, flextime is offered by 60.9%. Other benefits being offered include: Financial planning assistance (51.7%) Telecommuting (49.2%) Legal assistance programs (39.8%) On-site fitness centers […]

Are we evolving on sexual orientation/gender identity issues?

Many states have statutes prohibiting discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Not all states have such prohibition, and since there is no broad federal prohibition on discrimination by private employers based on either category, that leaves local ordinances to address the issue. A look at what is happening in […]

Train Employees to Give Great Customer Service to Coworkers

If you and your employees don’t work directly with company customers, it may seem that customer service training doesn’t apply to you. But it does. Customer service is an issue that involves everyone in the organization. That’s because all employees have customers. If they don’t have external customers, they do have internal customers, otherwise known […]

Higher PBGC Premiums Make DB Plans More Apt to Borrow

Defined benefit plan sponsors have gained a new incentive to fully fund their pension plans – even if that requires borrowing, according to a recent research report. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act enacted in mid-2012 raised U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. premiums for plan sponsors maintaining an underfunded DB plan, […]

How to Hire Like Google

How do you and your companies go about hiring new employees? Each company is obviously different in their hiring techniques. For Google, they go about hiring in steps. These steps help them determine which prospective candidate is right for their company. Take a look at the infographic below to learn more!