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A 2014 Harris Poll conducted on behalf of CareerBuilder found that 20% of employers have unknowingly asked an illegal interview question. Further, at least a third of employers are unsure about the legality of some interview questions. “It’s important for both interviewer and interviewee to understand what employers do and don’t have a legal right to ask in a job interview – for both parties’ protection,” says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder….
Earlier this month, I conducted a safety audit with a client and the risk manager raised a few issues that I thought would be helpful to share. The first is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the summer months. Often, workers will remove hard hats, safety glasses and heavy, steel-toed footwear because it is so hot outside. Employers need to remind workers of the importance of protective gear and enforce their policies about…
If you are hiring – or have hired – summer interns, you need to do the requisite “summer reading” on whether or not you need to pay them. Traditionally, most interns worked over the summer for the experience and to build their resume. However, unpaid internships have gotten a little more complicated from a legal perspective in recent years. The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) mandates that interns in the “for-profit…
In the 2015 Georgia legislative session, the use of cannabis oil was legalized for medical purposes in the state. (See the Atlanta Journal Constitution article.) Georgia’s new law allows cannabis oil – and oil only – to be used to treat eight medical conditions: cancer, Crohn’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, mitochondrial disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, seizure disorders and sickle cell disease. People may possess up to 20 ounces of cannabis oil with a physician’s…
Most companies have a policy on smoking in place. Over the years, smoking policies have tended to become more stringent, limiting where and when employees may smoke or banning smoking in the workplace altogether. However, the introduction of e-cigarettes and vape pens or open-air vaporizers has created a need to revisit policy. The issue is not as black and white as you may think. E-cigarettes and vaporizers are a $2.5B industry that has seen significant…
Are the latest changes in federal wage and hour laws good for your business or only good for the government? In a session titled, “What’s New in Wage-Hour,” Matthew Simpson presented on the minimum wage and the impact of cities and states increasing the minimum wage. Simpson stated that raising the minimum wage in markets with a higher cost of living such as New York, NY and San Francisco, CA, is probably appropriate but that…
Eight years ago, the federal government had 730 Department of Labor (DOL) investigators. Today, they have 1,000. That means more people available to investigate violations. Further, the process has changed. Employers used to be able to call the DOL and request a ruling by submitting position details. They would get a decision as to whether this was an exempt or non-exempt position and receive a pass on any past violations. Now, the DOL is less…
Yes, even the Department of Labor (DOL) understands how effective online apps can be. This weekend, when you’re looking for a restaurant for dinner that is free of health violations, use the DOL’s app, Eat Shop Sleep. Users can search for places to eat, shop and sleep and see if there are any pending safety, health or labor issues attached to these businesses as well as read customer reviews. For employees that are using a…
Fisher & Phillip’s Michael Elkon presented on the issues companies face when allowing employees to bring their own mobile devices to use for business purposes. There are “hidden costs and risks” associated with this practice, Elkon says. First, requiring employees to use their own mobile phone and not reimbursing them for that device may cause problems. This is the result of a California case (Cochran vs. Schwan’s Home Services, Inc.) where the Court held that…
Time. It’s how we spend the days, weeks, months and years of our lives personally and professionally. In the workplace, however, it is also necessary to record our time in order to be paid. Time tracking and recordkeeping is critical for business owners under the law. The U.S. Department of Labor has outlined requirements for recordkeeping under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). For compliance purposes, there are several records the employers are required to…
MarathonHR Helps Thomas Eye Center Focus on Patient Care and Service