1 Do it Friday afternoon While some human resources experts say firing is best done in the middle of the week, most recommend doing it on Friday afternoon. That time is best for the office, because it lessens the possibility that the person will set up a support group in the hours immediately following. It also eliminates the possibility that the person will stay around and … [Read more...] about 3 proven ways to make firing easier on everyone
Employee benefits
How the Affordable Care Act affects your office policies and practices
You’ve heard a lot of talk about Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But do you know how how ACA affects your office as an employer? The ACA imposes new obligations on employers. Some of these are already in effect and are continuing obligations you should be satisfying, but others don't kick in until next year or later. Review our summary of the key … [Read more...] about How the Affordable Care Act affects your office policies and practices
Surveying for rewards
To encourage job satisfaction throughout the office, Matthew J. Bower, administrator at Luhrsen Law Group in Sarasota, surveyed staff to find out what specific types of rewards they wanted to see in their jobs. The firm had always given rewards, and they ran the gamut from plaques to cash to time off to gift certificates. But over the years, what Bower found was that the … [Read more...] about Surveying for rewards
How to assess what training your staff needs
There are many factors contributing to the ongoing need for training in organizations, such as the growing use of technology and the disappearance of law libraries and word processing departments. On top of that, due to technology, law firms are leaning towards a ratio of one paralegal or legal assistant to anywhere from two to eight attorneys, increasing the staff's … [Read more...] about How to assess what training your staff needs
Model Policy: Reduced schedule and flexible work arrangements
Why you need this policy: Once upon a time, the belief was that an individual could be an attorney or a primary caregiving parent but not both. Attitudes—and laws—have changed this thinking and opened the door to all kinds of flexible work arrangements allowing attorneys to balance their professional and parental obligations. How this policy helps you: Every law office needs a … [Read more...] about Model Policy: Reduced schedule and flexible work arrangements
Health reform’s delay on employer mandate raises lots of questions
Do you understand how the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act affects your business? Here’s a quick look at the mandate. There’s a new delay in health care reform. It’s a one-year postponement of what’s known as the employer mandate of the Affordable Care Act. That mandate says large employers, or those with 50 or more full-time employees, have to provide health … [Read more...] about Health reform’s delay on employer mandate raises lots of questions
Paid time off can be anything under the sun, even unlimited vacation
Time off isn't required by law, "but it's so commonplace that employees expect it." And for morale and retention it's a necessity. How the firm sets up its time off policy is its own business, says Vanessa G. Nelson, SPHR, CLRL, president of the human resources consulting firm Expert Human Resources in Flint, MI. But there are a lot of decisions it has to make. The vacation … [Read more...] about Paid time off can be anything under the sun, even unlimited vacation
To understand employees, understand their generations
To a great extent, managing staff (and also understanding the partners) depends on recognizing where each person stands in the generational scale. Here’s how the generations from the beginning of the 20th century differ as employees. • The Lost Generation (born 1883-1900). These are the people who fought in World War I. • The Greatest Generation (born 1901-1924). This is the … [Read more...] about To understand employees, understand their generations
Beware Lilly Ledbetter; it extends the time limit for unfair pay claims
A relatively new law that all but eliminates the statute of limitations on equal pay lawsuits for women brings yet more employment law concerns administrators need to be aware of. It’s the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Employers can expect an upswing in claims that their female employees are underpaid, says Denise Murphy, an employment law attorney with Rubin and Rudman in … [Read more...] about Beware Lilly Ledbetter; it extends the time limit for unfair pay claims