Blogs

Protecting trade secrets when terminating employees

RIFs are NOT a cure all for crappy performance management

Paying tipped employees no longer requires 80 or 20

Why should I care about employment law?

Government shutdown and human resources – do they intersect?

Employee privacy – more than just protecting social security numbers.

Written warnings and the FAQs they spawn

Rushhourtraffobia does not require reasonable accommodation

Workplace Christmas Quiz (this is legit and will secondarily eat up some time before you get to go home)

The ACA - uninsured? unconstitutional? unenforceable? ununderstandable?

List 10 Up: Top ten holiday party tips

Holiday party what-would-you-dos

2019 minimum wage chart

Save the Office Holiday Party

MeToo, avoiding women, and the modified Mike Pence Rule

Carnac the Magnificent says – Politicussin

Non-competes for non-skilled – non-productive, non-legal, non-enforceable?

Discrimination CHARGE! – Step 3 Cause or no cause, because you gotta do something

Discrimination CHARGE! – Step 2 Go Kim Possible for the investigation phase

Discrimination CHARGE! – Step 1 Don't panic, ask questions

Depression – what can an employer do?

Employers beware - what you say can and will be used against you

Holiday stew – ingredients for a happy and non-litigious holiday

MO - The weed du jour - marijuana médicale

Biometrics in the workplace - not a measure of bios accumulated by an employee

Thanks-giving isn't just about turkeys - include the good employees too

The best "stay" to help you retain employees

Overtime, daylight savings time and circadian rhythyms

Controlling the political speech of buttons*

Cursing, surfing, weapons, gadgets – illegal, inappropriate or OK?

How to Ghostbuster a new hire or applicant

Election leave – employer's civic duty, migraine, or just wishful thinking (election, leave!)

Costumes, booze and the Great Pumpkin – beware the office Halloween party

Disability – Dr. or employee approved?

401(k) plan + payroll provider = 401k good things

Disability/pregnancy practices – what not to practice

Bad hire! Bad, bad hire!

TN – A drug-free workplace program is good

Open enrollment – personalizing perks pays off

Unpaid intern – depends on who benefits

The #1 office perk is . . . ?

FMLA leave before being eligible for FMLA leave

IL – Required expense reimbursement for your employees, not Bill Self

Help hiring holiday help here

Are the new DOL opinion letters like noses?

Public disclosure of confidential information is easier than you think

Bad mix – accommodation request and firing

If religious accommodation and a flu shot both equal angst, is that the transitive or substitution property?

Workplace shootings – 20 can-dos to prevent them

No call/no show shows. No what about it.

List 10 Up: Top tips for starting a workplace incident interview

Mr. Freeze unveils National Security Freeze tagline: "They can't steal your identity if it's frozen"

If it's called a dress code, can I wear pants?

I've changed my name – to Optimus Prime

TN: Conceal and carry means post to prohibit or permit

I'll take "ADA in 5s?" please Alex

Swearing at work – 7 rules

Is that red light flashing?

Four-legged office mates and the pawternity policies they benefit

Notice: notices and forms for FMLA that were already expired now updated virtually unchanged

Don't feel ripped off when you get ripped off – get even

School-related parental leave does not mean you forge a note from your kid

NY: Draft model sexual harassment policy/training released

Discipline - Demote - Depart or Communicate - Counsel - Channel

ICE audits II – FAQs to make you wiser

Round up stew: sick leave, harassment, non-compete, etc.

Identifying trade secrets does not mean figuring out how to barter better

Being at work full time is not an essential function of a job?

List 10 up: Positive employee relations training: reap the benefits of engagement

Employment agreements – what to do before you do

Background checks of the future are continuous

Treating service animal requests (always treat the animal)

Prepare for saying "No" – you need to decide how to refuse service

List 10 up: What's the deal with employee handbook rules?

I cannot tell a lie . . . you're fired for cutting down the cherry tree

Milk Stork delivers for working mom's and their baby

Job tasks and essential functions under the ADA

Who are you? Why are you here? Personality testing?

No, you can't sleep on the job

Technology driving the hiring process

Should you give your employees a little Slack – or do they have enough already?

"We need to talk" isn't any easier to say than to hear

Bet employers must make: call and raise your minimum wage

Zero tolerance for "zero tolerance" policies

Ralph Waldo Emerson as a productivity consultant

PS: PTSD IRL*

Is the employee "disabled" under the ADA?

The six step DOL audit polka

PTO on the house!

New rules for work rules

Dr. Strangelabor or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Millennial

Did Bartleby the scrivener write his own job description?

"Treating" disgruntled or bad behaving employees

Hiring under the age of 18

DO NOT LICK THE BRAIN! and other obvious stuff

Helping your employees save for emergencies

Right to bare arms in the workplace

#MeToo quiz

Under standing desks

How to approach an employee showing signs of cognitive decline

Dress codes should not be encoded

Foul language *

Rorschach, Horshack and Abednego

Don't ask a woman the gender of her child, especially. . .

Guidelines for a valid no-solicitation/no-distribution policy

All aboard the Love Train for long-term onboarding!

Gender and workplace bathrooms

No FMLA for pet's death

Personal hygiene in the workplace

Yes Virginia, there is a St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

Master the modern method for managing March Madness

Drug testing in The Office

Background checks

"Thank you" and "I'm sorry" – meaningful, simple and impactful

Michael Corleone HR tip for the day

S'not flu or it is, doesn't matter

Be prepared for ICE raids

Looking for employees: an untapped source of talent

Calling Dr. Love(less)

Non-exempt employees – what counts as wages?

HR is not a happy accident

Do new hires have to be a culture club fit?

Remote workers and telecommuting

When former employees ask for references

Model written lock out/tag out program

Wrong table cat

They might be giants . . . transforming healthcare?

Conducting internal I-9 audits

The Nebraska Chamber has issued a W-2 challenge to state taxpayers

The impact of super bowl(ing)

12 steps to handling violence in the workplace

Workplace retaliation: don't give in to the Dark Side

Would you really want to work with a bunch of yous?

What is the ADA?

Monty Python should not write your job descriptions

FMLA definitions

Unemployed or wear a bra – are those the only choices?

What "government shutdown" means for employers

An intern by any other name

FMLA - "leave" as in "leave the employee alone"

“M,” “F,” Or “X”? Nonbinary Gender Designations in the Workplace

Sexual harassment – can't find it – what now?

Probationary periods

Employee contracts

Introverts

How to treat fringe benefits for employees

Attendance policies

Different repeal

Temporary and leased employees

Birthdays in the workplace

Needy employees

Holiday parties - acknowledge, avoid, assume (nothing)

Dress codes: who, what, wear

Punch clock

Nepotism: favoring relatives and friends in the workplace

Year-end performance reviews

Hiring interviews

The Form I-9 has changed… Again!

Service dogs at work

Bring your own gun

Social media

Year-end or holiday incentives

Arizona sick day policy

Paternity leave

HRsimple spotlight - Fiona Ong

Permissible post-accident drug testing

Paid family leave: a growing trend

Politics in the workplace: how to remain legally compliant during election season

Termination Series: Communicating the reason for discharge

It’s only a matter of overtime

Interview with attorneys at Kastner Westman & Wilkins

Valentine's Day heartaches around the office

Safety and health tips

Wearable technology

Favorite HR sites

Back to school time is here!

Vacation policies and time off

Interview with author J. Hagood Tighe

Non-compete agreements

Workplace romance

Holidays

Bullying in the workplace

Employment references

Telecommuting or remote (control) workers

Social media and employment

Performance evaluations

Breaktimes

Interview with attorneys at Wilson Worley PC

Interview with attorneys at Knudsen Law Firm

Interview with Kathy Speaker MacNett

Firing, a job to do right the first time

Job advertisement do’s and don’ts

Employee handbooks – getting a handle on your policies

Technology in the workplace

Interview questions: do's and don'ts

Employee personnel files

Other Tags

background checks

disabilities/ADA

independent contractors

interns and volunteers

non-compete and trade secrets

performance evaluations

personnel files

technology and the internet

vacation policy

workplace investigations

Blogs tagged in workplace investigations

Written warnings and the FAQs they spawn

This blog was written by Ursula A. Kienbaum at Ogletree Deakins, which authors our Model Policies and Forms for Tennessee Employers, Massachusetts Human Resources Manual, Colorado Human Resources Manual, and Employee Benefits – An Employer's Guide. You can find ...

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Discrimination CHARGE! – Step 3 Cause or no cause, because you gotta do something

This blog was written by Kristin Gray at FordHarrison, which authors our "Hiring, Firing and Discipline for Employers" and "An Employer's Guide to FMLA and ADA". You can find the read more

Discrimination CHARGE! – Step 2 Go Kim Possible for the investigation phase

This blog was written by Kristin Gray at FordHarrison, which authors our "Hiring, Firing and Discipline for Employers" and "An Em...

Discrimination CHARGE! – Step 1 Don't panic, ask questions

This blog was written by Kristin Gray at FordHarrison, which authors our "Hiring, Firing and Discipline for Employers" and "An Em...

Cursing, surfing, weapons, gadgets – illegal, inappropriate or OK?

It happens in almost every workplace almost every day: somebody swears or is on an iffy website or is carrying a knife (or worse) or is using their own (not secure) phone or computer to send off a quick business email or text.

So what is illegal, what is inappropriate and what is just not that a big a deal?

Robin Shea at Constangy has your answers (and answers your questi...

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TN – A drug-free workplace program is good

This blog was written by William S. Rutchow at Ogletree Deakins, author of our Model Policies and Forms for Tennessee Employers. Ogletree also authors our Massachusetts Human Resources Manual, Colorado Human Resources Manual, and Employee Benefits – An Employer...

read more