Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Employers are looking to save time and money and are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to make employment practices more efficient. In early 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance to help employers navigate the use of AI. The takeaway is that eliminating humans from critical employment processes could result in a violation […]
Remote work has been all the rage in recent years. Initially, employees were working from home because offices were closed by government mandate. While working from home, employees were usually working in the same town or neighboring suburb as their normal office space. As remote work has become a more permanent part of the white-collar […]
The close of 2023 treated us to Wonka, a prequel to the beloved childhood classic, shedding light on the origins of the iconic Chocolate Factory. Although Willy Wonka initially began his chocolate empire with good intentions, he inadvertently concocted a recipe for labor and employment violations. As employers aim to sweeten their practices in 2024, […]
Ever heard of a “soft phone?” It allows phone calls to be received through a computer. There’s no additional hardware, other than the computer running the program, needed to accept a call. Call centers use this technology. Just one question: Should an employer pay its employees for the time it takes to boot up their […]
We visit the doctor and the optometrist once a year and our dentists at least twice a year. Why? We attend the appointments not because they’re necessarily fun but because they’re vital for maintaining good health and wellness. They provide assurance that if things aren’t so good, we have the chance to correct course. All […]
In times of short staffing, it’s important to remember exempt employees may lose their exempt status if they spend too much time performing nonexempt work. A recent ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota serves as a stark reminder that exempt employees may perform nonexempt work but only if their primary […]
Annual reviews of employee handbooks can help you stay ahead of the curve. Prudent employers are proactive, rather than reactive, in being prepared to deal with workplace issues. Here are four key areas of change you should look at in the rest of 2022.
Incentivizing employees can be an important factor when it comes to an employer’s bottom line. Several common misconceptions about the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) have driven decisions regarding incentive payments for too long.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers must maintain records of hours worked by each nonexempt employee. That means companies bear the ultimate burden of showing that records of hours worked are in fact accurate. If an employer is sued by an employee, a group of employees, or the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) […]
Recently, the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit—which covers Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island—held that an arbitration agreement between a company and a vendor wasn’t enforceable against one of the vendor’s delivery drivers who didn’t have notice of the agreement. The court’s ruling is a reminder that companies seeking to […]