Policies / Handbooks

Ensure handbook asserts at-will employment

07/28/2016

If you have a handbook that provides workers with a limited right to contest proposed discipline, make sure it also has a very strong at-will statement.

Why your company’s biggest idiot is such a legal threat

07/18/2016

The National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may protect workers who wildly misinterpret your intentions. Here’s how to cope.

Zero-tolerance policies: an open door to trouble?

06/22/2016

On paper, zero-tolerance policies seem like a good idea: You warn employees that your organization will not tolerate even one instance of on-the-job misconduct. But life isn’t always so simple.

7 steps for handling employee complaints

06/20/2016

Each time HR receives an employee complaint about discrimination or harassment, it should follow these steps—consistently and fairly.

The Records Management Filing Cabinet: June ’16

06/09/2016

Employees recording; fire protection; locked flash drives

Insist that employees follow call-off rules

05/27/2016

Some employees think as long as they can get a doctor’s note certifying that they missed work due to a disability or a serious health condition, they can’t be punished. Not true!

Complying With the FLSA Overtime Rules: The Duties Test

05/18/2016

UPDATE: May 2016 On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor released its long-awaited update to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime rules, which effectively double the salary threshold at which most salaried workers are exempt from being paid overtime, raising it from $23,660 to $47,476 per year. The new rules become effective December […]

Expense reports: An exercise in creative writing

05/10/2016

The number of improper expense report requests—from the surprising to the mundane—shows little sign of decline, says a new survey.

Employers: Display updated FMLA poster

05/05/2016

In May 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a new version of the FMLA poster that employers are required to hang in their workplaces. The big question: If you already have an FMLA poster in your workplace, must you display this new version? Here are the details, plus links to the new poster and employer’s guide …

6 issues to consider when updating your employee handbook

05/02/2016

An out-of-date employee handbook is more of a liability than an asset.