By Krystal Barghelame What is an employee handbook? An employee handbook is an important living document for your employees that outlines your company policies, history, and culture for current and future employees. Although 87% of businesses with 10 to 200 employees have employee handbooks, HR experts agree that it’s best practice to start a handbook as soon as you hire … [Read more...] about The top 8 policies to include in your employee handbook
Hiring & firing
Eligible/ineligible for rehire vs. constructive discharge
By Lynne Curry Here’s a real-life question where the employee feels she has an issue—but it’s truly the employer’s problem. Question: After working for an abusive supervisor for more than a year, I plan to give notice. The last straw was when she confronted me yesterday. She said I hadn’t completed a project, and she expressed her dissatisfaction by grabbing my arm and … [Read more...] about Eligible/ineligible for rehire vs. constructive discharge
Hiring mistakes come at a higher price amid pandemic
A hiring mistake could cost your office more today than it would have a year ago. New research from a global staffing firm shows more than three in four senior managers surveyed (77 per cent) admit to recruiting the wrong candidate for a role, and more than half (56 per cent) said the negative impact is more severe now than it was a year ago. Four months lost on one hiring … [Read more...] about Hiring mistakes come at a higher price amid pandemic
EEOC charges down but lawsuits rising
By Mike O'Brien bio EEOC data for FY2020 show dip in charges filed The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its Fiscal Year 2020 Enforcement and Litigation Data report on Feb. 26, 2021. The EEOC reports that 67,448 charges of discrimination were filed in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2020, compared to 72,675 charges filed in the previous fiscal year. The … [Read more...] about EEOC charges down but lawsuits rising
How HR regulations could change under Biden administration
By Mike O'Brien bio Employers may be wondering how a Biden administration will affect workplace laws. Prior to the election, Biden’s campaign website gives some clues as to his priorities in this area. Biden lists the failure to pay minimum wage and overtime pay, forcing off-the-clock work, and misclassifying workers as problems resulting in billions of dollars a year in wage … [Read more...] about How HR regulations could change under Biden administration
New overtime rule now in effect
By Mike O’Brien bio Jan. 1, 2020 was the deadline to comply with new FLSA overtime rule. At the end of September the Department of Labor issued its long-awaited final rule updating the salary level test for white-collar overtime exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Under the new rule, the minimum salary level for exemption is raised from $455 a week to $684 a week, … [Read more...] about New overtime rule now in effect
Pay rates, vacations while recovering, gig economy
By Mike O’Brien bio Department of Labor enters final stage of update to ‘regular rate’ rule under FLSA. As we have discussed previously in these updates, the Department of Labor has been working to update the definition of “regular rate” of pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The regular rate is used to calculate overtime pay. The rule has not been updated in half a … [Read more...] about Pay rates, vacations while recovering, gig economy
Step by step guide to successful lateral hiring
Attracting a lateral hire requires more than sending out a request for resumes. To find the candidate it wants, the firm has to decide on the specific qualifications it is looking for. But more, it has to set a time limit for resume submissions, keep the candidates updated throughout the process, and make an offer the top candidate can't refuse. Here's exactly what we … [Read more...] about Step by step guide to successful lateral hiring
Easy-to-use interview system guarantees a good match between secretary and attorney
For secretarial interviews, an Ohio administrator uses the approach that includes everything—attorney input, staff input and even observations from the receptionist. At the 25-attorrney firm in Dayton, the administrator set up the system not only to make sure the applicant is qualified for the job but also to evaluate how well the secretary will work with the attorney and … [Read more...] about Easy-to-use interview system guarantees a good match between secretary and attorney
Always ask these 7 questions before you fire a staffer
They are the seven-question solution. They have become the standard for determining whether a firing is justified. A "no" answer to any one of them leaves room for argument that a dismissal was discriminatory. They are the seven questions arbitrators ask when settling firing disputes. They are a valuable pre-termination checklist to determine whether a firing is … [Read more...] about Always ask these 7 questions before you fire a staffer