Human Resources

Reward Employees for Commitment

Let's say your firm is in the process of hiring a new administrative assistant. The final selection has come down to two candidates with similar qualifications. However, one is single, while the other is married. One member of the search team says, "Candidate B would...

19 June, 2019

From the HR Support Center: A Guide to Drug Testing and Drug-Free Workplaces in the Era of “Legal” Marijuana

With medical and recreational marijuana use becoming legal in more states nationwide, you may be wondering what kind of drug-testing policy your business should have. The answer to that question depends on several factors: the types of jobs that are done and the degree to...

17 June, 2019

Wellness Programs Your Employees May Enjoy

The following statistics reveal the need for employee wellness programs: Overweight employees cost employers $73.1 billion a year. Further, obese employees file twice as many workers' compensation claims and take more sick days a year than do non-obese workers (Northeast Business Group on Health). One...

14 June, 2019

Six Payroll and Benefits Steps After an Employee Dies

It's an unsettling and emotional time when an employee unexpectedly passes away. From a personal standpoint, co-workers may be stunned and grief-stricken over the loss of a colleague. On the employer side, the business may have to quickly hire a replacement and train him or...

12 June, 2019

From the HR Support Center: What happens if someone is misclassified as an independent contractor?

There are many potential liabilities resulting from misclassification and they come from several sources: namely, the IRS, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, federal wage and hour law, and state wage and hour law. An employer will owe up to three years of back taxes on the misclassified...

10 June, 2019

When Should You Provide Employees Education?

When is providing an education fringe benefit advantageous to the employer? I know other employers who give their employees financial help to attend college or higher education courses. Also I think some of my employees would like to take some courses at the community college....

05 June, 2019

From the HR Support Center: What Forms Need to Be Updated After a Name Change?

Does an I-9 form need to be updated when an employee has a name change? What about other forms? When an employee changes their legal name, you are not required to update their I-9. However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recommends maintaining correct information...

03 June, 2019

From the HR Support Center: Five Tips for Effective 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...

27 May, 2019

Facebook Firings: Think Before You Leap

Terminations based on employees' Facebook posts (or posts on other social media sites) are nothing new. The pace of such firings reached such a crescendo three years ago that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a legal memorandum summarizing how it had ruled in a variety of...

22 May, 2019

From the HR Support Center: Can We Require That At-Will Employees Give Notice Before Leaving?

How do I keep an employee at-will but require them to give notice before leaving? Unfortunately, an employer may not simultaneously utilize the at-will employment provisions and require that an employee provide notice ahead of separation. Instead, I recommend requesting that employees provide notice as a...

20 May, 2019