This morning I read a recent post from Suzanne Lucas the “Evil HR Lady”, an HR blogger that provides similar common sense observations about employment issues. The post was an answer to a supervisor question about an employee who drinks so much water and has to pee so often that she can’t get her
What BeKnown Means for Employers
I learned this morning from the Dallas Business Journal that Facebook has launched a rival site to Linkedin which is called BeKnown.com. Seriously? Is there any chance that we could shrink our online persona instead of increasing it? How many places do I truly need to be found? How many places do we 
want
Flying the Unfriendly Skies
Sheryl Jean recently reported in the Dallas Morning News on a letter of apology from a Southwest Airlines pilot to company employees for a rant he made with his microphone stuck in the on position that was heard by air traffic controllers and other pilots about how there were not any good dating prospects among
Employment Law 101: Exemptions from Overtime Pay
Who, What, Why . . .
Who does it apply to: Overtime is governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Without a long discussion about the .1% of employers who might not be covered, the simple answer is – virtually everybody.
What do I have to do: Employers must pay overtime, unless the employee is
Employment Law 101: Explaining the Rules of Overtime Pay
Who, What, Why . . .
Who does it apply to: Overtime is governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Without a long discussion about the .1% of employers who might not be covered, the simple answer is – virtually everybody. That said, it does not apply to independent contractors or volunteers.
What do I
Employment Law 101: Sexual Harassment 101
Who, What, Why . . .
Who does it apply to: Any business with more than 15 employees.
What is it: Everyone has a broad sense of what sexual harassment is, but most do not understand what it is from a legal stand point. Under the law, Sexual harassment falls into two categories: “quid pro
Breastfeeding Mothers Need Breaks
Breastfeeding is very common in today’s society, having increased by 10% over the last 15 years. Giving working – nursing – mothers a break was one of the immediate effects of Obamacare when it passed last year. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act was modified to require employers to offer breaks to nursing mothers
Employment Law 101: Do you Need an Employee Drug Testing Plan?
Who, What, Why . . .
Who does it apply to: Drug testing is only required in certain industries, but any employer may choose to institute a policy to protect themselves against unauthorized employee use.
Why would I want a policy: You never know when you might begin to suspect that one of your valued
Are Employee Breaks Required?
I get a call at least once a month from a panicked client who just heard a rumor that they have to give breaks to employees every day. Unfortunately, there is no snopes.com for employment myths, so this almost total fallacy gets perpetuated over and over. In the vast majority of circumstances the answer is:
Employment Law 101: A Family Medical Leave Act Primer
Who, What, Why . . .
Who does it apply to: Employers with 50 or more employees for 20 or more work weeks in the current or past calendar year must provide benefits, but only to employees: (1) with at least 1250 hours (including overtime) in the past 12 months, and (2) who work within