According to an analysis by Seyfarth Shaw, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has closed its fiscal year with a marked decrease in cases filed. The COVID-19 pandemic, a change in leadership at the EEOC, and the employer-friendly Trump administration may be behind this trend. For the past...
The coronavirus pandemic has created tough economic times for most businesses. Often the first thing companies do to save money is to cut out employee training and development, which doesn’t make sense to remove something intended to make employees more productive. Employee development is how you...
Issuing an employee warning letter is a common HR practice. This method allows HR managers to discipline the staff and to make sure that all employees observe the rules written in the company policy. In addition, a warning letter is also a way for employers to reduce legal risks when firing an employee....
On September 25, the Department of Labor published in the Federal Register a proposed rulemaking that would clarify and ease the restrictions on independent contractor rules. In a boon to the gig economy, the proposed rulemaking would make it easier to be classified as an independent contractor rather t...
In light of the controversial campaign season that has now enveloped the country, strong opinions during political discussions are likely to arise in the workplace. This can become a debilitating issue for employers and their teams if political conversations become heated between coworkers. Knowing what...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released a report on joblessness and employment recently. Titled “The Employment Situation—August 2020,” the report was published September 4. Its opening sentence: “Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 1.4 million in August, and the unemploymen...
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a federal law, includes a provision to allow new mothers to express milk at the workplace. More specifically, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act amended the FLSA to require employers to provide “reasonable break time for an employee to express breas...
Most businesses design their emergency response plans to organize employees in case of a natural disaster or spills of hazardous substances. However, since the uncertainty of Covid-19, it’s best practice for businesses to designate a specific team of employees to facilitate the emergency plan for...
Striking that perfect balance between career and family has always been a challenge for American workers, and since COVID 19, it’s become harder due to many employees working from home. Work-life balance involves juggling workplace stress with the daily pressures of family, friends, and self. The...
The ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us, in one way or another. Some have directly contracted the virus and had to deal with its difficult symptoms, while others have tragically lost friends or family members to this terrible infection. Others have been less directly affected, but hav...
Nobody wants to get injured at work, and many employers across the nation go to great lengths to protect their workers and provide safe, secure working environments. Still, in spite of these efforts, around 2.8 million workplace injuries and illnesses were recorded in 2018 alone. These injuries can incl...
Recently, the state of California issued a handbook for businesses planning to reopen under the threat of the current COVID-19 epidemic. And other states and the federal government have issued guidance for businesses responding to the coronavirus disease. For businesses staying open or considering reope...
