1. Employers returning teams to the office (hybrid or full-time) State employment laws may have new requirements, including COVID-related medical leaveTelework policies to include expectations for work product; availability for meetings, camera utilization, dress code; response time to questions from managers, clients, customers, teammates; cyber s...

Employee handbooks have evolved from basic policy manuals into critical risk management and communication tools. In 2026, organizations face a complex combination of hybrid work models, multi state compliance challenges, and intensified enforcement from federal and state agencies. An outdated handbook can expose employers to legal risk, operational...

Hiring new employees can have a significant impact to your business. You're probably already aware there are costs associated with hiring employees. These may include recruiting expenses, time and resources, and of course, the salaries of new employees as well as the current employees whose time is used to train new employees. However, as an owner ...

Recent headlines and the press coverage around the president seem to be dominated by foreign affairs issues. However, much of the president's focus this year has been about his administration's agenda for the workplace. You may have heard about the proposal to increase the starting wage, but there are several more proposals in the president's workp...

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is already here and the holiday season is about to begin. There's just 6 weeks left in 2014. I'm sure you have a long list of things to do before the end of the year. Preparing your budgets for 2015 may be among them. Here are potential HR items to take into account for the budget. {rsmembership id="1,7,9,10"} Star...

"Ban the Box" refers to a growing movement and set of laws intended to remove barriers for individuals with criminal conviction records from getting hired for jobs. Specifically, "the Box" is the typical question asked on applications: "Have you been convicted of a crime?" This movement seeks to eliminate this question on job applications and preve...

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 legisla...

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 dese...

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.  {rsmembership id="1,7,9...

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. {rsmembership id="1,7,9,10"} The...

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 ...

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 ...

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....

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 Lauer...

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 some...

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. {rsmembership id="1,7,9,10"} Previously, courts used a six-factor tes...

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.  {rsmembership id="1,7,9,10"} Recent amendments to the NYS Hu...

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.  {rsmembership id="1,7,9,10"}  The decision broadly affirms that class action waive...

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,...