Human Resources Tag

From the HR Support Center: What Is a Hostile Work Environment?

Several employees have complained that one of our managers is regularly abrasive and rude, yelling at employees and sometimes insulting them. Could she be creating a hostile work environment? Possibly, but not necessarily. It sounds like this manager’s abrasive and rude manner has made employees feel...

21 January, 2019

Inclement Weather and Your Payroll Obligations

Hurricanes, storms, tornadoes, blizzards, floods and other weather-related disasters can cause inclement weather closures. But even if one of these calamities causes your business to close, your employees must still be paid on their next regularly scheduled payday if they did any work during the...

16 January, 2019

From the HR Support Center: Can we discipline employees for complaining about the company on social media?

We’ve become aware of a social media post by one of our employees in which he complained about his working hours and pay. The post was “liked” by several of his coworkers, one of whom commented “Preach!” and another of whom posted an angry face...

14 January, 2019

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