Human Resources

From the HR Support Center: Can We Make Employees Use Their Accumulated Vacation Hours?

Yes. An employer can tell an employee that they need to take time off. However, that rarely bodes well for the morale of the employee if they don’t want to take the time off. Some employers have a “use-it-or-lose-it” policy where any remaining vacation time is...

19 January, 2018

Moonlighting Employees? What to do

As many as six of every 100 employees moonlight, or work a second job. Employers get concerned about moonlighting employees when the moonlighting has an adverse effect on the workplace. A second job often results in employees being tired and less productive during their primary job,...

12 January, 2018

Overcome the Roadblocks of Employee Resistance

Employee suggestion programs and employee involvement programs often -- ultimately -- fail because of a simple human trait: Resistance to change. Management and employees can subtly resist participating in a suggestion and employee involvement program because many people almost automatically resist change. In fact, some studies...

30 October, 2017

From the HR Support Center: What Does the Ending of the DACA Program Mean for Employers?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on September 5th that they have initiated the "orderly phase out" of the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The DACA program allowed certain people (sometimes called “Dreamers”) who came to the United States as...

20 September, 2017

Personnel Files: Who Keeps Them?

What goes into personnel files? And who is responsible for maintaining employee records and payroll records? Here are four questions on these topics, along with answers: Q. What type of information and records should I keep in my personnel files? A. Any information and documentation relating to...

19 September, 2017

Federal Court Permanently Blocks Obama Administration Overtime Rule From Going Into Effect

The federal district court judge in Texas, who had issued a temporary injunction in November 2016 to block Obama administration changes to the overtime rule from going into effect, has now issued another decision that permanently blocks the changes from going into effect [State of...

08 September, 2017

From the HR Support Center: The Real Costs of Employee Turnover—And How to Measure Them

Employee turnover is expensive—more so than you might think. According to a recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, the average cost-per-hire is $4,129. However, turnover costs can vary depending on the length of time it takes to fill the role, the importance...

06 September, 2017

From the HR Support Center: Provide Your Employees With an Employee Handbook

An employee handbook is one of your organization’s best onboarding tools. Make sure you get it into new employees’ hands as soon as possible. We recommend carving out an hour or two on an employee's first or second day for them to sit down with...

17 August, 2017

Tips to Retain the Best Employees

In many industries, employers are using recruiting and retention strategies to keep valuable employees and to lure other qualified employees. Following are 20 ways to recruit and keep valuable employees, offered by Joan Stewart, author of "113 Tips for Recruiting Valuable Employees" and "107 Tips...

15 August, 2017

From the HR Support Center: Accommodating Pregnant Employees

Let’s imagine a situation. Wendy, who’s been on the job for only four months, informs her employer that she’s pregnant. She requests light duty and asks if temporary leave is an option. Instead of accommodating Wendy, the employer terminates her employment, explaining to her that her...

11 August, 2017