Supreme Court Decision on Arbitration-What It Means for You
On Monday, May 21, 2018, the Supreme Court issued a split 5-4 decision (along party lines) regarding the enforcement of arbitration agreement clauses prohibiting employees from seeking class or collective action for certain employment claims, in this case, FLSA claims. The decision consolidated 3 cases (Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, NLRB v. Murphy Oil Co, […]
An Exercise in Frustration – Hiring Talent in a Tight Labor Market
From trucking to construction to car care to print distribution, across all sectors in which we work, there is one common trend that our recruiting team has noticed – there’s a shortage of skilled and unskilled workers to fill available jobs. And this shortage significantly impacts our clients, particularly the small businesses with whom we […]
Lovers at Work – Tips for Managing Complicated Workplace Relationships
Employers have a responsibility to create and maintain a non-discriminatory and non-harassing workplace where employees can perform the duties of their jobs as effectively and safely as possible. As most of us have experienced, co-workers spend a lot of time together, working and interacting with each other and, not infrequently, developing romantic relationships with one […]
Violence at Work – How To Keep Your Employees Safe
Recent events in the world have many employers thinking about gun violence and what appropriate measures to take to ensure their workplace is a safe place for employees, clients, vendors and all others who enter. While protecting against gun violence at work is a serious, important, and timely topic, violence at work in general is […]
Sales Vs. Customer Service – Natural Conflicts in the Workplace
A client called recently with a major worry. “We have a big problem with our customer service representatives (CSRs) not getting along with our sales people. Our CSRs are not being supportive of the new sales associates that we just hired,” she shared. “If our company is to survive, we need these new sales associates […]
You Asked What Questions in the Candidate Interview?
Every so often we find the need to revisit a topic of great importance. This is one of those times. While most of our clients are aware that, in the hiring process, it is illegal to discriminate against a candidate based on nationality, religion, age, marital or family status, gender, health and physical ability, military […]
Creating a Harassment-Free Workplace
The cascading allegations against men of power in the arts, entertainment and political realms – and the rise of the #MeToo movement in response – have focused the nation’s attention on the extent of sexual harassment in the workplace. Many working women like myself are finding that few if any in our circle of friends […]
Performance Rewards – A Year-End Ritual
The holidays are upon us, and for many employers, this means bonuses and performance reviews. While both activities may seem harmless – even positive – handled improperly, they become legal landmines. So, how do you handle these year-end rituals without exposing the organization to unnecessary risk? Bonuses Year-end bonuses, especially when unexpected, are arguably one […]
Recruiting for Hourly Low-Skilled Workers
Whenever we ask our clients about their most difficult challenge, they almost always say it is hiring qualified people. This is particularly true, they say, when it comes to hiring entry-level, unskilled hourly workers. Whether we’re talking about warehouse employees, janitors, car care technicians, or delivery workers, finding and keeping this type of talent is […]
Employees and Off-Duty Conduct
In the days following the violent rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, several rally participants found themselves fired from their jobs for their participation. This has many employers wondering if they can fire an employee based on what they do off the clock. The answer depends on many factors, including the individual circumstances, the context of the […]
