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by Marianne Clendenen Among the many changes to employment policy and practice wrought by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), perhaps none is currently as hotly contested as the definition of “full-time employee” and the correlating “workweek.” Congress is considering amending the ACA to change what’s considered a “workweek” from 30 hours to 40 hours per […]
Employers tout the importance of an engaged workforce—a place where employees are devoted, eager, interested in their jobs and happy to boot. But how much of a payoff does a nominally engaged workforce provide? Can an engaged workforce still be steeped in drama that holds an organization back? Nicole Price, vice president of training for […]
by Mark I. Schickman For the past month, the most interesting show in San Francisco has been the trial of Ellen Pao’s sexual harassment and sex discrimination case against investment firm Kleiner Perkins. Pao, who engaged in a sexual relationship with a Kleiner Perkins partner early in her career, claims that the firm is a […]
by Michelle Lee Flores There is nothing like a gentle reminder or a “cheat sheet” to look at when counseling or disciplining employees. The key thing to remember is that although nothing can absolutely insulate you from claims of discrimination or wrongdoing, there are steps you can take to get to the ultimate goal of […]
by Lauren E.M. Russell The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in United States v. Windsor created a lot of uncertainty in federal employment benefits. Because the federal government’s definition of marriage as a union between one man and one woman was deemed unconstitutional, the decision left unanswered the question of when same-sex spouses were eligible […]
It’s March, a time when employers find themselves dealing with office pools, college rivalries, and a tendency for sports fans to shift their attention from work to the college basketball national championship tournament. The distraction of the “big dance” can cause even the best employees to slack off as they follow games during the workday […]
by Leslie Silverman In his 2015 State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama pressed Congress to “pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work.” Although the president’s plea for the passage of stronger pay discrimination laws is unlikely to sway the Republican-controlled […]
by Mark I. Schickman One of my earliest cases involved a client who ran a livery service—with a fleet of luxury cars to drive passengers all over town. But neither his cars nor his drivers were properly licensed, and his vehicles were impounded and the drivers were arrested every time they hit the streets—such was […]
by Jerry Glass Leaders of organizations must navigate constantly changing times, whether it’s in the form of unpredictable events or the competitive marketplace in which they operate. When we look back at what has occurred nationally and globally since 2000, it’s nothing short of earth-shattering. We have had global health scares, including SARS, the H1N1 […]
Think your employees are satisfied with their work-life balance? They may be, but a recent survey signals they may not be as satisfied as you think. WorkplaceTrends.com, a human resources research portal, and CareerArc, a recruitment and outplacement firm, released their 2015 Workplace Flexibility Study in February. The survey of 1,087 professionals—both employed and those […]