With Millennial workers (and many workers from other eras) increasingly adopting non-traditional body art (officially called body modifications), business owners are grappling with how to address this issue. Per a February 2016 Harris Poll, 47 percent of Millennials and 36...
Earlier this month, the governor of Missouri announced he was lowering the state’s minimum wage from $10 back to $7.70. The reason? He had heard from numerous small-business owners who said they couldn’t afford to pay the wage and stay...
Business owners face many situations where laws don’t appear crystal clear or do not cover particular circumstances. In these cases, lacking the advice of an attorney or HR specialist, they make judgment calls that may get them into trouble. That...
Last month, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases in several Midwest states, issued a judicial ruling that sexual orientation claims are actionable under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The ruling came in response to...
Cell phone usage in the workplace is at an all-time high, and evidence is mounting that employee cell phone use causes unwanted distractions in the office. In a 2015 study by CareerBuilder, 44% of business leaders ranked cell phone usage...
In last month’s newsletter, I talked about all the things that need to be done at the year’s end, from compensation strategies to Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting. It was a lengthy list and I assured you that whatever you...
Smart companies know the value of goal setting in setting their business up for success. Yet, according to the 4th Annual Staples National Small Business Survey, 80 percent of small business owners don’t keep track of their goals. With your...
Paying a deceased employee is a topic that comes up occasionally. Recently, I had a client inquire about the issue and then I was speaking with a colleague who works in marketing and she has had two clients pass away...
As you may have heard, there has been a delay in the implementation of the long awaited increase in the wage test for exemption from overtime. At this point, there is uncertainty as to what will happen in the future,...
In August, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved a revised Form I-9. Employers may continue using the current version of Form I-9 until January 21, 2017. After that date, the current form will be invalid.
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