Examining the Latest Legal Developments and their Impact

Employment Laws for Management

A good H.R. Director

Cost of Outsourcing HR

If you had to take a guess about who has one of the busiest positions in a mid-sized company, what would your answer be?  The big boss, i.e. the CEO or President?  Well, guess again.  That position which is stressful and overburdened is that of the Human Resources Director.  There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done and it is the lucky HR honcho who has a staff to help out.  There were already enough policies to enforce, forms to create and distribute and records to be maintained, without the advent of the Affordable Health Care Act, or ObamaCare and its seemingly endless list of rules and regs.  Of course, there were new procedures, policies and protocol to get up to speed on, and, just when those items were mastered and taken care of, the rules and regs got legs as even more new procedures were implemented beginning January 2016.

Social Media at Work

Social Media at Work

You know it starts out innocent enough – a viral video that goes around the internet at the speed of sound.  It soon is the talk at the office coffee machine, and, for those who’ve missed it, no less than a dozen people hustle back to their respective work stations to forward it along posthaste so our co-workers can see it personally.  As an employer it is your job to be aware of the latest social media trends in the workplace and to keep your employees at check so that they are able to better perform their work duties without feeling threatened, with this there are many common legal questions that you may want to ask your employment law attorney.

Conflict Between Employees

How to Deal With Conflict Between Employees in the Workplace

Conflict is just a fact of life.  Even when we were toddlers, it seems we had issues and were verbal about what we didn’t like.  We argued with our siblings about our possessions and our “standing in the family”… even though being the oldest didn’t always trump other factors.  Things didn’t change once we got to school either – there was always something to whine about it seems.  No two people are alike and we are not cut from the same cloth so there is always bound to be disagreement among our peers.

In the workplace, disagreement and dissension among the ranks is also common.  Sure, there is the differences of opinion over college sport teams and that rivalry is acceptable.  Even the occasional political bickering over one’s favorite candidate or values, as long as it does not get out of hand, may be the topic bandied about the water cooler.

Drop The Box Initiative

What is The Drop The Box Initiative?

On Monday, November 2, 2015, President Obama introduced the concept of the “Drop the Box” initiative in a speech given at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.  The President announced a new executive order which will be geared to prohibit federal agencies from requesting job applicants to reveal if they have a criminal record.  This initiative is part of Mr. Obama’s overall criminal justice reform effort.  The “Drop the Box” initiative would allow prospective employees not to check a box on some federal applications that acknowledge a criminal record, which essentially thwarts any potential employee who possesses a criminal record from obtaining a government job.  The President says he hopes that one day all companies could abide by this principle, not just federal agencies, and cites the good works of large companies like Koch Industries, Target and Wal-Mart who have already eliminated the question posed of a prior criminal record from their job applications.  Now, it is up to Congress to pass the legislation and push for nationwide acceptance of the “Drop the Box” campaign.

Definition of Spouse

What is The Definition of Spouse?

You might remember when your father referred to your mother as “the little woman” or “the wife” – that was commonplace in years past and I really doubt that Dad would be able to identify his main squeeze using either phrase nowadays without raising some hackles.

There are many definitions that identify someone’s significant other and recent laws have caused employer benefit policies to be revamped as a result.

The ACA

New Reporting Requirements Under The ACA

By now, most Americans are familiar with the terminology “ObamaCare” or “The Affordable Care Act” – the two are interchangeable.  The Affordable Care Act, often abbreviated simple as the “ACA” was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Barack Obama.  It was our 44th president’s goal to give everyone in the nation healthcare that was accessible and affordable.  He was able to realize this dream which was fueled, in part, by his mother’s death from liver failure as she lacked the funds and insurance to battle that disease successfully.

Social Media in The Workplace

Using Social Media in The Workplace

Social media in the workplace packs a one-two punch for employers who are often left scratching their respective heads over how to implement or enforce computer policies pertaining to their personnel.  With the exception of computers replacing typewriters, there has likely been no other greater change to the workplace environment and definitely social media is here to stay.