Human Resources

From the HR Support Center: Court Ruling on ACA Has No Immediate Impact on Employers

Last month, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the entirety of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was unconstitutional due to changes made to the tax code last year. He said, in short, that eliminating the individual tax penalty made the whole law unworkable. The judge...

07 January, 2019

Downsizing Doesn’t Necessarily Pay Off

Laying off employees alone will not fix a business that's in financial trouble. That's the conclusion of a series of studies of large corporations over nearly two decades, published in Perspectives on Work, a publication of the Industrial Relations Research Association. Studies concluded that mass layoffs have not...

01 January, 2019

Creative Employees Churn Out Ideas

"No idea is too far out...

01 January, 2019

From the HR Support Center: Why Use a Performance Improvement Plan?

What is the purpose of a performance improvement plan? Can’t we just terminate employment for poor performance? The use of a performance improvement plan (PIP) can help reduce the risk inherent in any termination. A PIP is used to help employees whose performance has slipped, become...

31 December, 2018

How Wage-Hour Laws Create Risks

Federal investigators with the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) routinely look for companies and organizations with illegal pay practices. The WHD enforces the federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, child labor and other requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. When investigators uncover violations,...

21 November, 2018

From the HR Support Center: Do We Have to Allow Employees to Take Time Off to Vote?

We have had a few employees ask if they can take time off to vote. Do we need to allow that? Yes, you may need to allow employees time off to vote, and you may even need to pay them for it. The specifics will depend on...

01 November, 2018

Follow the Law When Using Background Checks for Hiring

More and more employers are using background checks as a regular part of the hiring process, and it's easy to understand why. When it comes to the need to protect your business, your workforce and your customers, the stakes are high. The Society for Human Resource...

24 October, 2018

Which Labor Law Did You Break Today?

Many business owners who have been penalized for labor law violations never realized they were noncompliant. But we all know that ignorance is no excuse. Here are common FLSA violations to avoid: 1. Misclassifying Employees Any employer who fails to follow DOL rules regarding classification is risking...

11 October, 2018

From the HR Support Center: Investigating Employee Theft

We have good reason to suspect an employee has been stealing from the register. How should we respond? It is recommended that you suspend the employee and conduct an internal investigation. You may also want to report the theft to law enforcement depending on the circumstances. An...

06 September, 2018

How Long Should You Hold a Job Open?

Occasionally, employees want or need to be away from work after they have used up all their accrued vacation, paid sick leave, and paid personal time off. For example, an employee may be out collecting Workers' Compensation benefits for months, even a year or more. So,...

28 August, 2018