Employers Cheer New Rules for Union Elections
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently announced new rules for representation case procedures that will come as welcome news to employers.
Tag: rules
The Dangers of Unsolicited Assistance
Have you ever found yourself in a situation when you’re getting more offers of help than you really want or need? That is a common experience for many employees. Not only does unsolicited help waste both the offeror’s and the offeree’s time, but it can also lead to bad blood on both ends.
How to Take Advantage of OSHA’s ‘Employee Misconduct’ Defense
Many times, when employers receive an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citation—if not most times—they claim it wasn’t their fault, but rather the employee did something stupid. OSHA recognizes such a defense, called the “employee misconduct” defense. It is an affirmative defense, meaning the employer has the burden of proof in establishing the misconduct.
HR: Let’s Be Watchdogs, Not Police Officers
On March 20, 1995, a new character joined the cast of Dilbert, Scott Adams’ comic about the absurdities of office life. “I hired a new director of Human Resources to handle the downsizing,” said Dogbert to the Pointy-Haired Boss. “I need somebody who acts like a friend but secretly delights in the misery of all […]
Jessica Micciche on Unleashing the Creativity of Her Employees and Breaking the Rules (in a Good Way)
Welcome back to Faces of HR. In this space every Friday, we will profile one of your peers, learn about his or her experiences as and feelings about being an HR professional, what the person’s goals are, and how he or she hopes to accomplish those goals—and get to know a little about your peer […]
PBGC Staff Suggests Plan Spinoffs Made to Reduce Premiums ‘Should Be Disregarded’
“Reverse spinoff” transactions being considered by some retirement plans to avoid Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) premiums “should be disregarded” by the agency, staff suggested in a recent web posting.
NLRB’s New Guidance Loosens Reigns on Handbooks
Earlier this year, we predicted that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) would be “loosening the reins on employer handbook rules.” We can finally tell you exactly how much the reins have been loosened because the NLRB’s General Counsel has outlined the standards the Board will follow when assessing employers’ personnel policies. Overall, you will […]
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: a Female Comic Finds Her Voice on Gender Politics in a “Be Pretty” Society
Amazon’s hit show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, follows the life and struggles of Miriam “Midge” Maisel (played by Rachel Brosnahan), a Jewish housewife living in the Big Apple in the 1950s. As the show begins, Midge seems to be leading a charmed life with a beautiful home, adorable children, and a successful husband (Joel, played […]
Plan Must Cover Room, Board for Residential Mental Health Treatment
Because a group health plan covered room and board expenses for stays at skilled nursing facilities, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) required it to do so for residential mental health treatment facilities as well, a federal appeals court ruled in Danny P. v. Catholic Health Initiatives, No. 16-35609 (9th Cir., June […]
EEOC Outlook for 2018: What Should Employers Expect from the Agency?
Many federal agencies and their regulations experienced a lot of changes during 2017. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), by contrast, had a relatively uneventful year. No major controversial issues surfaced, key leadership positions were left unfilled, and some EEO issues are important to the president’s daughter—and by extension may be important to him. So […]