How Do You Show Your Appreciation For Stellar Employees?
Employee appreciation day is officially sometime back in April….but we here at Peoplescape think that everyday should be a day that you are grateful for something. Granted, not every employer-employee relationship elicits unbridled gratitude every single day. But, there are many simple ways that you can show your appreciation for your employees all throughout the year, when the mood strikes! 1. Dump the dumb rules – What??? Are we calling all of your rules dumb? No, absolutely not. But…there are probably some silly ones in the office that you know and I know and your employees know are unnecessary. A [...]
Are Workplace Dress Code Policies Changing?
"Red Hat is an open organization, accepting of people and how they choose to express themselves. Whether you have tattoos or piercings, we want people to feel comfortable and free to be who they are here. In fact, we have at least three associates who are so passionate about our role in changing the world through open source technology they have gotten tattoos of our company logo: Shadowman. How many organizations can say the same?” Jim Whitehurst, President & CEO of Red Hat Granted, all companies are not going to be quite so accepting of employees expressing themselves however they [...]
Paid Family Leave in NYC: National Trend or Anomaly?
Paid family leave has long been an issue for working parents, as the time spent away from work is likely causing them to take a lesser amount of income home. Earlier this year, the state of New York passed the most generous paid family leave legislation in the country, with an even more liberal leave coming from Washington, D.C. sometime this year. Already, three states offer between four to six weeks of paid family leave to employees who work a certain number of hours and meet the requirements to care for a new child or a sick family member. New [...]
Are Your Incentives Working?
Just like parenting or coaching or teaching, being a cultural change agent in your workplace is something that is not a one-size-fits-all approach. The company culture at Google is going to be very different than the company culture at your neighborhood auto service station. Thus, part of HR’s job and your job as a leader is to figure out what incentives will work for your particular company culture. What drives your employees? What makes them smile and encourages productivity and team cooperation? Be consistent with the perks you offer – don’t make changes to the system unless something clearly isn’t [...]
Handling Leaves like a Pro: Plan, Prepare, & Conquer
Medical leave is something that we hear a lot about in the business world these days. From articles on how awful the U.S. maternity and paternity leave law is in comparison to developed countries worldwide, to the stress put on the employees left in the office when a colleague goes out on leave, there are so many factors to consider when it comes to leave policies and handling them like a pro. The best way to handle leaves of absence is to take a three step process based on the mantra of “plan, prepare and conquer!” And when all else [...]
Are your FMLA Procedures On Point?
Are you an HR Director? Did you know that you can be held personally liable for litigation and costly lawsuits as a result of handling FMLA requests that are not in compliant with federal law? Well, on March 17, 2016, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals decided that you can be held liable for FMLA mishandlings in Graziadio v. Culinary Institute of America, 2016. Ms. Graziadio requested FMLA on two separate occasions for two different family illness/injury instances. There was a question as to whether or not Ms. Graziadio’s request and leave was abusive, but due to the poor communication [...]
A Parting Gift: Severance Pay & Legal Tips
Severance packages are an attempt on the employer’s behalf to soften the blow of a layoff or termination, and also a protection against future litigation. According to @LegalHero in their recent post on this topic, the idea of a severance package may be written in to an employee’s contract or employment agreement. However, in states where at-will employment is in effect (such as California where Peoplescape is headquartered), a severance package can be offered as a nice parting gift to the employee and gives the employer a sense of security against future lawsuits. Before implementing and using severance packages in [...]
Two Benefits Never to Put on the Chopping Block
As we get settled into 2016, there are a few things employers need to know about benefits. First, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is alive and well. Required notices to employees are different if employer-sponsored health plans are offered. Watch out, the details are many and tricky at best, and the potential for litigation abounds if employers are not following the rules. But, there’s good news! We have an inside scoop on what your employers want to see in their benefits package, and a few ideas on how to make it happen. First, do not get rid of vision and [...]
Thought Leaders Series #3: Three Priorities for New OT Rules
The Department of Labor (DOL) decided to shake things up a bit by issuing proposed overtime law changes for 2016. Back in June 2015 when the news hit, many human resources departments struggled with how this would change their current process and procedures for exempt vs. nonexempt employees. As many of us know, incorrectly classifying employees as exempt or nonexempt can lead to costly litigation and fines for employers. With the changing overtime rules, HR departments and upper management should all be aware and knowledgeable of this particular area of employment law. Basically, the DOL plans to more than double [...]
GINA & Wellness Plans in the Workplace
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) prohibits employment discrimination based on genetic information, which covers a broad spectrum of variables from participation in genetic testing to a disease or disorder in an individual’s family to the results of genetic testing. Because some employers have introduced wellness plans as part of a larger effort to promote healthy lifestyles among employees, GINA comes into play because of the protected information that may be asked of employees or spouses of employees upon enrolling in a wellness program. So what does this all mean for you as an employer? First, wellness programs [...]