Day: March 18, 2013

The importance of trust

When I was 12 years old, my family moved from Milwaukee to a small town in Iowa. How small? Well, we didn’t have a McDonald’s or even a single traffic light. On our first day in town, my brother, who was and continues to be a year younger than I, walked four blocks with me […]

Parental Leave Newest Addition to FMLA Family

Yesterday’s Advisor featured attorney Susan Shoenfeld’s summary of the changes in the new FMLA regulations; today, more detail on the new parental leave requirement under military exigency leave, plus an introduction to the all-HR-in-one website, HR.BLR.com. The Final FMLA rule makes four changes (or clarifications) to the listed qualifying exigencies, says Schoenfeld, Senior Legal Editor […]

Women Closing Retirement Balance Gap but Still Need Long-term Strategy

Data from late 2012 show women in the United States closing the gap in defined contribution plan balances and savings rates compared with their male counterparts, but gaps remain in women’s retirement funding strategies that plan sponsors can help address. Although female plan participants long have been known to save less than men for retirement, […]

Think There Are No Laws Against Bullying?

Special from SHRM’s Legal and Legislative Conference It’s true that there are no anti-bullying laws in the US, but that doesn’t mean that bullying can’t be the basis of a lawsuit, says attorney Allison West SPHR. West, who is principal, Employee Practices Specialists in Pacifica, CA delivered her suggestions for dealing with bullying in the […]

I-9 Forms: Correction Considerations for Employers

Do you conduct audits on your I-9 forms? Do you have a written policy in place on how to correct deficiencies or errors? It’s important that you do, as having a policy in place before starting to correct errors can ensure you are consistent in your treatment of employees. It can also allow you to […]

Will New Litigation Risks Proliferate Because of Health Reform?

With thousands of pages of new laws and rules, there must be thousands of new reasons for employees to sue for health benefits not delivered properly in the wake of near-complete enactment of health reform starting in 2014, one could be forgiven for thinking. Health reform certainly does appear to be somewhat of a litigation […]

Pros and Cons to Hiring Star Employees

Some organizations view hiring star employees as a no-brainer: hiring top talent means higher performance and higher profits. Others may be wary: hiring star employees comes at a high price, and it may not be justified. Where does your organization stand? What are some of the pros and cons to recruiting and hiring star employees? […]

Criticism in store for Obama’s choice for DOL

President Barack Obama’s choice of Thomas E. Perez for secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor is likely to face tough questions during the process of confirmation by the Senate. If confirmed, Perez will replace Hilda L. Solis, who stepped down as labor secretary in January after serving in the post four years. Foes of […]

Inpatient Treatment for Alcoholism Protected Under ADA, FMLA

 Courts generally agree that an employee suffering from alcoholism has “a physical or mental impairment” — and, hence, a disability protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. While an employer can deny employment to, discipline or discharge an alcoholic whose use of alcohol adversely affects job performance or conduct, ADA provides that an employee whose poor […]

Can We Hire a Foreign Exchange Student as an Intern?

We are an accounting firm that frequently hires area college students to intern for short periods throughout the year. We recently received a few outstanding applications from foreign students attending the local college.  Can we hire foreign students as interns? The short answer is that yes, foreign students are eligible for paid employment off campus, […]