Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.
Fraudulent workers’ comp claims cost employers millions every year. And while fraudulent claims can often be hard to prove, there are some red flags it can pay to look out for. Possible indicators of employee fraud include:
The benefits of using nonemployee workers such as independent contractors are obvious: you don’t have to provide a contractor with expensive employee benefits, and you retain greater flexibility to quickly alter your workforce as needs change. But if you make a mistake and incorrectly classify an employee as an independent contractor, the consequences can be […]
Wal-Mart’s executive vice president of benefits recently drafted a memo to the board of directors proposing ways for the company to save on health care costs by attracting a “healthier, more productive workforce.” Among other things, the memo suggested that all jobs at Wal-Mart be redefined to include some level of physical activity–such as requiring […]
Undocumented workers who are injured on the job are entitled to seek workers’ compensation benefits, a California Court of Appeals has ruled.
We have an issue around employee dating. We tried a no-dating policy, but we can’t seem to put any teeth into it. When we confront two employees we think are dating, they say, “Hey, we’re not dating—a few of us like to get together after work for drinks.” And another couple wouldn’t answer because “It’s […]
The Golden State is often criticized as being unfriendly to businesses, so it’s reasonable to assume that the state would qualify as employee-friendly. But researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts have come to a surprising conclusion: California ranks in the bottom half of the 50 states in terms of worker-friendliness.
Has the IRS permanently changed the standard mileage reimbursement rate?
We have two main types of nonemployee workers: temps (who usually work just a few days or weeks) and leased employees (who work basically full time). In both cases, we pay a fee to the agency and the leasing company, and they handle all the employment matters, including hiring, payment, and benefits. My question is […]
We’ve gotten multiple complaints about a worker’s hygiene. He’s a good employee, and we don’t want to offend him, but people have asked to be moved away from his cubicle, and one has even threatened to quit. What should we do?
I’d like to move my employees from a 5-day week to a 3- or 31/2-day week—that is, change over to 12-hour shifts from 8-hour shifts. Is there a way to do this without paying overtime? And is there any downside? — Alan, HR manager in San Diego