Are you tired of hearing tough or bad news all the time? Turn on the TV and we hear about Omicron spiking, overcrowding of hospitals and people dying. Go to work and hear about the Great Resignation and all you…
News
Last month, several devastating tornadoes resulted in the deaths of six workers in Illinois, and eight more in Kentucky. In both instances, employers had ordered these employees to continue working through the tornado warnings. And while most employers wouldn't risk…
A job candidate looks great on paper. That doesn't mean you have to take them -- but you better be ready to have a good explanation if they claim illegal bias. A 66-year-old former justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court…
Back in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that sex discrimination protections under the Civil Rights Act extended to sexual orientation and gender identity. And a recent district court ruling reiterated that. Here's a breakdown of the case. Purposely misgendering Vivian…
Benefits pros need to keep an eye on the federal minimum wage in your area to maintain a competitive compensation plan. Thanks to the pandemic, the focus on federal minimum wage has increased. As we’ve said in previous posts, employees…
Benefits pros are probably tired of hearing about the Great Resignation. After all, you're doing everything in your power to provide the best benefits package you can to help HR retain and attract employees. But is financial well-being part of…
There was evidence to support both sides. Here's why the scales tipped in favor of an employee seeking long-term disability benefits. A maintenance supervisor had long-term disability insurance. His employer provided the insurance. The policy provided two years of benefits…
Workers' compensation or not? A worker suffered serious injuries when a dead tree fell near a portable restroom he was using. The worker had been painting the exterior of a house, and it was a windy day. His employer did…
In what may be the first of many similar suits to follow, a group of workers from the candle factory that was leveled by a devastating Kentucky tornado have sued their employer. The group says the employer illegally subjected the…
Despite other countries around the world adopting the four-day workweek, the idea seems like a pipedream for most American workers. But a handful of members of Congress are hoping to change that. In an effort led by Rep. Mark Takano…
Do you have a long-term benefits plan? Are there benefits you want to add over the next three to five years? It’s a good idea to have a long-term plan. It’s one way you can stay in the top 10…
It’s common sense, really: Employers accused of taking action against an employee for an illegal reason must be prepared to say what the real reason was – and that it was perfectly legitimate. In a typical case, articulating a nondiscriminatory…
No matter how or when you lay off employees, the workers are going to be, understandably, upset. While it's not an easy thing to do, there are definitely ways you should never conduct layoffs -- and one CEO is making…
It may seem like firing a poorly performing employee would be cut and dried. But when that employee belongs to a protected class and feels they were discriminated against, things get tricky. One company recently landed in court because of…
Showing a preference for younger employees can violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and land a company in court -- something coffee giant Starbucks is facing right now. A nationwide class action lawsuit has been filed, claiming the…
What do you think: If news gets out that a new employee was once a man but is now a woman, are co-workers likely to hassle her? An Illinois federal judge said yes. The judge refused to dismiss her claims…
