Human Resources

From the HR Support Center: Are Cost-of-Living Raises Mandatory?

Some state minimum wage adjustments are tied to the consumer price index, but otherwise, cost-of-living raises are not required by state or federal law. You just need to make sure you’re paying any applicable state and municipal minimum wages. That said, if the cost of...

11 November, 2019

From the HR Support Center: Five Tips for Effective Organization Meetings

If you want to get a snapshot of your organization’s efficiency and the health of its culture, look at your meetings. Are they efficient and productive? Do their results justify the time and expense? Are meetings an occasion for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and team-building? Or are...

04 November, 2019

What is the Difference Between These Health Insurance Terms?

Because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers and employees may now be expected to have a greater understanding of health care vocabulary. Some terms are new under the ACA, but many have been around for a long time and are still not fully understood....

30 October, 2019

From the HR Support Center: Can we ask an applicant why they are leaving their current job?

Yes. While it’s fine to ask this question during the interview, we recommend you collect this information ahead of time by asking about it on an employment application. In the section where the applicant lists their previous employment experience, you can ask for the reason...

28 October, 2019

Minimize Employee Turnover by Using Effective Motivation

The most obvious way for employers to measure the full impact of employee turnover is to look at the corresponding loss of productivity when positions go unfilled. You'll also need to look at the cost to find replacements. But that's just the start. The rest of...

23 October, 2019

From the HR Support Center: How Should We Respond to a Harassment Complaint?

We received a complaint about harassment. How should we respond? When a company suspects that an employee has violated its harassment or discrimination policy, we always recommend conducting a complete (and well-documented) investigation into the allegations. This includes speaking with the employee who made the complaint,...

21 October, 2019

Can an Employer Force English Use?

Can an employer force employees to use English at work? As more non-English-speaking employees enter the workforce, what problems do employers face with non-English speakers? The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says an English-only rule may violate civil-rights laws unless the employer can show the rule...

16 October, 2019

From the HR Support Center: How Can We Help Employees During the Busy Season?

Here are a few things you can do to make the busy season run as smoothly and stress-free as possible: Remove or reassign non-essential work duties: Before the busy season begins, ask employees in your department to make a list of tasks that other departments could...

14 October, 2019

Personal Use of Equipment Creates Liability

Do you allow your employees personal use of your company's equipment? If you do, consider your liability. Many employers, as a benefit, allow their employees personal use of company vehicles, equipment, and other property. For example, Ted, who owned a car dealership, let employees work on...

09 October, 2019

From the HR Support Center: When a Job Candidate Mentions Having a Disability

One of our employees interviewed a candidate today and emailed me afterwards. He was impressed by the candidate, but grew concerned after the candidate mentioned having social anxiety. He wondered whether the anxiety could affect the candidate’s ability to do the job. I reminded the...

07 October, 2019