The coronavirus -- named COVID-19 -- outbreak situation changes by the hour. Employers should carefully review their strategies, policies and procedures to ensure their business and employees are prepared to respond.COVID-19 spreads largely through respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing, and it seems to spread easily. It may also be possib...

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 ...