Human Resources Policies

GUEST POST: Flexible Work Location for FLSA-Exempt Employees

January 8, 2014 | by Eric B. Meyer

Today, we have a guest blogger at The Employer Handbook. It’s Johanna Harris. Johanna has been a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor and in-house labor counsel for two multinational corporations. She is currently the CEO of Hire Fire and Retire LLC. Her new book, USE PROTECTION: An Employee’s Guide to Advancement in the Workplace, is a basic primer on HR law and personnel policies.

Flexible work arrangements take many forms. Arranging flexible hours and schedules can be fairly straightforward and is often dictated by business needs. Flexibility of work location, however, is more difficult to manage. After the jump, this guest post addresses the issues raised by allowing employees to work at locations other than their assigned offices.

(Want to guest blog on an employment-law topic at The Employer Handbook? Email me).

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GUEST POST: Hidden Substance Use at Work

December 12, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

Today, we have a guest blogger at The Employer Handbook. It’s Melissa Kluska. Melissa currently writes for St. Jude Retreats, a non 12 step alternative to traditional alcohol and drug rehab. As well as writing for St. Jude’s, Melissa enjoys blogging about health and relationships.

(Want to guest blog on an employment-law topic at The Employer Handbook? Email me).

New bill in PA House would erase many local paid-sick-leave laws

November 14, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

Earlier this year, the City of Philadelphia got this close to passing a bill requiring local employers to provide paid sick leave to employee.

PA Rep. Seth Grove (York County-R), wants to make sure there are no such close calls in the future.

Late last month, Rep. Grove introduced this bill in the PA House of Representatives, geared towards “providing statewide uniformity regarding vacation and other forms of leave mandated by political subdivisions.”

“Drug-Free Workplace Policy Builder” from the Department of Labor

November 13, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

Thumbnail image for DOLlogo.png Ordinarily, I’m reluctant to recommend online modules that help HR professionals create workplace policies.

Like the one I used to create a Borat Workplace Dress Code. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but I was certain that the one-piece, over-the-shoulder, male swimsuits wouldn’t create a donning and doffing FLSA issue.

Hey, this post got weird quick. Didn’t it?

That’s what they said: Facebook “Like” under the First Amendment, same-sex marriage benefits, plus a carnival

September 19, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

Now, where did I put the mustard for my deep fried Red Bull battered Twinkie dog? (Like I would ever use ketchup for that?!?)

While I search for the spicy brown, after the jump, I’ll get you caught up on the latest employment-law news…

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Survey underscores gap in employer/employee BYOD privacy expectations

July 26, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

Thumbnail image for cartoonphone According to a recent survey from MobileIron, more than 4 in 5 employees in the US, UK, and Germany use their personal mobile phone or tablet for work. However, only 30% trust that their employer won’t go snooping into personal information on that device. But nearly the same percentage, 28%, take comfort in their belief that their employer can’t view corporate email sent and received on their personal device.

[In unrelated news, 28% of your workforce is dumber than these two.]

Ultimately, MobileIron concluded that employees consistently underestimate the visibility their employers have into company data, and consistently overestimate the visibility their employers have into personal data.

Supreme Court DOMA ruling “In Plain English”; impact on employers

June 27, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

Want an explanation of yesterday Supreme Court decision regarding challenges to California’s ban on same-sex marriage and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, check out Amy Howe’s analysis “In Plain English” at SCOTUSblog.com.

And for more on yesterday’s decision and the impact it may have on your business, check out:

Lyle Denniston’s recap at SCOTUSblog.com
Danielle Kurtzleben’s report on the impact DOMA may have on your workplace
“DOMA Ruling Means Changes Loom for Employers” from Lauren Weber at WSJ.com
“Post-DOMA, Employers Face HR Challenges” from Shannon Green at Corporate Counsel
“Now What? Employer Benefits Obligations Post-DOMA” from Stephen Miller, CEBS at SHRM.org

New federal bill would expand FLSA to protect salaried new moms

May 30, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

Back in 2010, when the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act went into effect, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was amended to require a “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk.”

Generally, employers are not required to compensate an employee for the break time to express milk, and an employer with fewer than 50 employees does not have to comply with the rule if it would pose an undue hardship.

One more minor caveat — of which I must admit, I was not aware — the law only covers non-exempt employees. (Although, I imagine that most businesses afford the same dignity to exempt employees too).

RIP: Philadelphia Paid Sick Leave Bill

April 18, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

** picks up phone dorks out in his bluetooth VOIP-compatible headset **

The Employer Handbook: “Nyello.”

Two Weeks Ago: “Hi Handbook. This is “Two Weeks Ago” calling. I wanted to let you know that Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter vetoed the “Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces” Bill, also known as the paid sick leave legislation. I read about that legislation on your blog back in February, and I was wondering when you were going to get around to updating your readers.”

GUEST POST: The Budding Burden of BYOD – Legal Issues Abound

February 28, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

Today we have a guest blogger at The Employer Handbook. It’s Shannon Dorvall. Shannon is a practicing Los Angeles criminal attorney. She is a graduate of the University of Montana law school, and has argued cases in front of Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. When she isn’t writing about law or actually practicing it, Shannon enjoys perfecting her cooking and catching up with a good book

(Want to guest blog at The Employer Handbook? Email me).