• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Compensation & Benefits

Heed new driving-time limits for truck drivers

10/01/2005
If you employ commercial truck drivers, take note of new federal rules governing how much time they can drive before having to take breaks.
The U.S. Transportation Department rules took …

Supreme Court preview: Key FLSA, bias cases on tap

10/01/2005
While much of the recent U.S. Supreme Court drama has swirled around who will serve on the court, employers are looking forward to key employment-law cases that the court will hear …

Brace for higher state minimum wages

10/01/2005
Currently, 17 states set minimum wages above the $5.15 federal minimum and you can expect that number to rise. Two key reasons: The increasing pain at the gas pump and expected …

High gas prices offer retention opportunity

10/01/2005
With gas prices jumping over $3 a gallon, employees with long commutes may be thinking about working closer to home. Ease their pain by: 1) Talking with the top brass about …

Don’t try to muzzle employee gossip

09/01/2005
You may not like employees comparing their bonus checks or bad-mouthing their managers in the break room, but don’t even think about trying to silence such off-duty chats. If you do, …

You don’t need to accommodate totally disabled workers

09/01/2005
Issue: How to handle employees who claim disability benefits but also want ADA-related job accommodations.
Risk: Sometimes, you must offer those accommodations, sometimes you don’t. One mistake can trigger an …

Clarify ‘for cause’ terminations in severance-pact wording

09/01/2005
Issue: Severance agreements that deny severance payments to employees fired “for cause.”
Risk: Failing to clarify “for cause” could result in having to pay severance to people fired for blatant …

Congress moves closer to association health plan

09/01/2005
This finally may be the year Congress authorizes association health plans, which would allow small businesses to participate in health insurance plans through trade associations that span state lines. The House …

You can use surveillance to spot workers’ comp fraud

09/01/2005

Q. How far can we go to make sure that employees aren’t taking advantage of our company while they’re out on workers’ comp leave? Can we, for example, call them at home to make sure they are resting and not out working another job or abusing the system? —D.V., Illinois

FMLA caregivers must stay close; calls don’t count

09/01/2005
While the FMLA allows employees time off to care for a sick spouse, child or parent, such “care” doesn’t have to be physical. FMLA regulations say employees can take FMLA leave …