Category: HR Hero Line

HR best practices, employment law tips, news and analysis, Q&As, and lessons learned from the courtroom.

hurricane

Tips for responding when bad weather strikes

When a hurricane, tornado, flood, or other natural disaster hits, HR must have plans for employee safety, business continuity, and a dozen other issues. With that in mind, we rounded up resources to help you make sure you and your organization are prepared to respond to HR issues before, during, and after the storm.

Misclassification mistakes: Know risks and prevention strategies

It’s almost an understatement to call misclassification of employees as independent contractors a hot topic. It’s certainly the subject of a growing list of court cases, government agency investigations, and legislative initiatives. Various agencies at both the state and federal level have been in crackdown mode for a few years now, and it’s no wonder: […]

Here we go again: dealing with political discussions in the workplace

by T. Harold Pinkley As election season heats up, we thought it would be worthwhile to remind you about important issues to consider when you’re dealing with discussions about politics in the workplace. We hope our readers will relate to the experiences of Gertrude, the fictional HR director featured in this article. The phone call […]

NLRB and nonunion employers

Employers with nonunionized workforces once went about their business without giving much thought to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). But with union membership in decline, a more activist Board is branching out, and now even nonunion employers need to be on guard. As union membership dwindles, the NLRB is emphasizing that the National Labor […]

Judge halts EEOC lawsuit, citing ‘obstinate’ refusal to cooperate

by Amanda Jones Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandates that after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has investigated a charge of discrimination and determined there’s reasonable cause to believe the claim is true, it must try to negotiate a settlement with the employer through a conciliation process before filing a […]

Employee temper tantrums, resignations, and the law

Employers generally go to great lengths to retain valued employees. They know the benefits of keeping good, experienced people and avoiding the costs of recruiting and training new hires. Sometimes, though, the words “I quit” are music to an employer’s ears. A problem employee out the door seems like a problem solved. But is it? […]

Performing an EPA checkup

by Sophie E. Zdatny Equal pay for equal work may seem like a no-brainer, but the gender pay gap is still with us almost 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act (EPA) in 1963. Nationally, women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. The Vermont Attorney General’s Office (AG) and […]

Working while on vacation, home office injuries, and tandem lay-off meetings

Employees go on vacation, but business doesn’t stop. So sometimes workers are asked to put in time when they’re expecting to be kicking back at the beach. Working from home is a popular arrangement, but what are the workers’ compensation implications when an employee is injured in a home office? Lay-off meetings are never easy, […]

Another shot across the bow: NLRB challenges ‘at-will’ statements

by Jeff Hurt Nonunion employers must be scratching their collective heads over the recent shelling they’ve been getting as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeks to make union organizing easier: proposed labor law posting requirements, “quickie” election rules, and strict limitations on employer social media policies. While some of those initiatives are on hold, […]

NFL lockout hits pay dirt with employment lessons

By Michael P. Maslanka Editor’s note: Fall is here, and for a lot of die-hard fans, that means just one thing — it’s football season. But the first three weeks of this football season were marred by a referee lockout that meant a lot of bad calls and missed penalties by the replacements. Many commentators […]