Archives
Short Takes: SUTA Dumping
We’re transferring a number of employees between entities, and someone warned me about “SUTA dumping.” What is that?
You’re the Expert: FMLA Abuse
We have some people who may be abusing our Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policies. We approved their going out on leave, but now we suspect they don’t qualify. What do you do to identify and stop FMLA abuse?
Military Leave: Will You Please Help Me Fill In the Blanks on the New Military Spouse Rule?
Our firm has many employees whose spouses are in the military, so we’re gearing up to deal with the new law. While trying to set up our policies, we’ve come across some questions that don’t seem to be answered in the materials we have received. Do we have to let the employees take leave on […]
Bulletin: San Francisco minimum wage goes up
As of Jan. 1, 2008, employees who work in San Francisco (including temporary and part-time workers) must be paid at least $9.36 per hour (up from $9.14). Visit the SFGov.org website to access the required minimum wage poster. Remember that the state’s minimum wage jumps to $8.00 per hour on the first of the year. […]
EEOC releases fact sheet on selection and testing procedures
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a new fact sheet explaining how federal nondiscrimination laws apply to employer tests and other selection procedures—such as personality tests, medical exams, and credit checks—used to screen applicants for hire and employees for promotion. The fact sheet also spotlights “best practices” employers can follow to avoid […]
Family Leave: Can I Fire Someone on Family Leave?
Some issues have arisen with several of our employees who are out on leave—their jobs have been changed or eliminated, and one employee has done something that warrants termination. But someone told me that these workers are “protected” because they are on leave. Can we go ahead and fire them, or will we be slapped […]
News Extra: Controversial New Rule Published on Coordination of Retiree Benefits
After much back and forth, the EEOC just last week issued regulations letting companies offer lower health benefits to those age 65 and over than they do to those younger. Here’s the report on this important development, first published on our subscription website, HR.BLR.com. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has published a final […]
Employers Can Restrict Union Use of Company E-mail
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled that employers can prohibit employees from using company e-mail to send union-related messages while allowing some personal use of e-mail. In a 3-2 decision dated December 16 but released December 21, the NLRB majority ruled that the e-mail policy of Eugene, Oregon, newspaper The Register-Guard wasn’t a […]
New Year’s Resolutions for HR
Around the New Year, many of us start to consider what we could do better in the coming year. We consider things like joining a gym and eating more vegetables. It’s also a good time to think about how we could improve our work performance. Audio Conference: New Year, New Laws, New Employee Handbook? What […]