Many businesses have been forced to immediately offer temporary remote employment to their employees.  Employers must now know how to manage, train and provide resources to their employees so work can continue in compliance with federal, state and local laws. Companies should be implementing an HR crisis management plan that includes, but is n...

​Many restaurants and hotels have implemented immediate layoffs or are considering potential layoffs, shift reductions, remote work scenarios for management as well as temporary or permanent store or hotel closures. Some are remaining open to serve customers in ways that are permitted by changing government guidance. Management decisions, even in a...

Employers are utilizing biometrics to identify employees and track hours worked. However, unlike other methods of authentication such as passwords, biometric identifiers may not easily be changed once compromised. Employers that use biometrics need to be aware of regulations such as the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Similar sta...

Stop making resolutions and instead make 5 HR Commitments in 2020.Based on HR trends that Excelerator® has tracked, here are 5 commitments your company should consider making in 2020: 1. Get a big-picture idea of the year aheadThis is an important commitment, and it takes less time than you think. Calendar important dates, including HR and Payroll ...

Tis the Season for .... fun holiday parties and other seasonal festivities!While holiday festivities can be fun, there is little question that conduct that can be perceived as harmful occurs at company holiday parties every year. Now is the time to consider what you should be doing before this year's holiday party in order to get ahead of this issu...

It's hard to believe that Election Day is just around the corner again! Despite the fact that the polls in many states are open for at least 12 hours (or more) on election days, and that some states have extended the polling over several days and/or have mail-in ballots for the election, many employers will still be asked by their employees if they...

Why Your Current Drug and Alcohol Policy May Have Gone to Pot For employers that already have a Drug and Alcohol Policy, the following language should be very familiar: Employees should report to work fit for duty and free of any adverse effects of illegal drugs or alcohol. This policy does not prohibit employees from the lawful use and possession ...

​Back in May we alerted you to recent amendments to the NYS Human Rights Law that required all NYS employers to adopt and distribute a sexual harassment prevention policy that meets or exceeds certain minimum standards by October 9, 2018. Employers were also required to provide compliant sexual harassment training to all employees by that same date...

​On May 21, 2018, in a 5-4 majority decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, No. 16-285, the U.S. Supreme Court found class action waivers in arbitration agreements to be valid and enforceable, settling a long-standing split among federal courts of appeals. The decision broadly affirms that class action waivers are enforceable regardless of the nat...

​New York now joins California, Connecticut, and Maine in mandating that employers provide very specific and detailed sexual harassment policies to their employees and rigorous training for their supervisors in an effort to prevent sexual harassment before it occurs in the workplace. Recent amendments to the NYS Human Rights Law require that, effec...

​As Spring is fast approaching, so is the race to hire interns for the summer season. As companies work through their internship budgets, there may be good news from the Department of Labor (DOL) due to updated guidance on internship programs the department issued in January 2018. Previously, courts used a six-factor test to determine if an intern ...

​With the new year comes new employment laws. While the Trump administration hasn't demonstrated an eagerness to add to current employment laws and regulations, several states and cities have done so.  Over 22 states have new employment laws going into effect in 2018. It can be difficult for employers to keep up with them all, but here are som...

​It's Fun, Fun, Fun - Until It's Not! We usually begin the joyful season of December by anticipating fun holiday parties and other seasonal festivities. This year, however, at company holiday parties around the country, it is likely that the sexual assault and/or harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Kevin Spacey, Matt Laue...

Going Local While the Trump administration is certain to be making changes going forward that will impact HR and employment practices; today's most significant HR trends are coming increasingly from the state and local level. Employers are already facing a proliferation of new and expanded employment regulations and requirements across the country....

​With the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, businesses can expect a number of changes that may impact human resources. We looked at Donald Trump's campaign promises and proposals to see which ones will have the most direct and immediate effect on the workplace, if adopted. While we recognize that campaign promises are just that, here are ...

​The Gig Economy - Implications for Businesses References to the "Gig Economy" are becoming increasingly frequent these days. And for good reason. According to the Freelancers Union, 53 million Americans now identify themselves as freelancers, 34% of the workforce[1]. According to a study by Intuit, the freelance workforce will grow even further to...

​You may have heard that the federal Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule on July 6, 2015 that will change one of the tests for determining which employees are exempt from overtime requirements and greatly expand the number of employees who must be paid overtime for any hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The major change is the proposa...

​If your business has not already done so, now is the time to consider establishing a comprehensive contract management policy to manage all of your business contracts. According to the International Association for Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM), poor contract management costs companies 9% -- Bottom Line. A contract management policy...

​Alarmingly, the news these days is focused more and more on the threat posed by various terrorist groups intent on attacking us while we are going about our daily lives – at restaurants, sporting events, theatres, concerts and even while shopping. For venues open to the general public, deciding whether to manage this risk by using armed guards des...

​It is common for employers to use on-call shifts and other flexible scheduling practices based on the variable needs of the business. In many cases, this creates the potential for employees to pick up additional shifts over their regular schedule. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for employers to use these practices due to new legisl...