Tag: #hrnews

Ever since the Secure 2.0 Act laid out changes for workplace retirement plans, employers have been waiting for final regs from the IRS. Now, the regs are here. The 2022 law established new requirements, impacting 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans that allow participants who are age 50 or older to make catch-up contributions. Specifically, the…

It’s a wildly astronomical number, and we’re not trying to scare anyone – but a recent case from New Jersey shows that employee misclassifications can be a costly mistake. The state of New Jersey recently recovered more than $19 million against the ridesharing service Lyft, which it accused of wrongly misclassifying more than 100,000 of…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming part of how work gets done in every function. Yet for many employees, talking about AI use still feels taboo. Is it AI shame? The increased use of AI tools in their jobs can be a source of guilt for some employees. For example, employees may use AI tools…

the NTEU petitions for reconsideration for the CFPB layoff scheme, an insurance company defeats a FLSA claim, and a construction company violated the NLRA by surveilling its unionized workers.

Not everybody handles conflict the same way. While some are confident and assertive, others might want to avoid conflict like it’s contagious. Neither of these sides of the spectrum are definitively right or wrong in their most basic sense. Bottom line is, everyone has a conflict style. Know Your Conflict Style However, taking time to…

Starbucks announces layoffs and branch closures; the EEOC sues Walmart.

Sometimes, things can get uncomfortable or awkward at work. But to cross the line into illegal harassment, there needs to be something more: what the law calls “severe or pervasive” negative conduct or behavior. In a recent case from eastern Pennsylvania, a federal district court ruled that a supervisor’s whisper into a subordinate’s ear, though…

Sometimes, the payment of bonuses is at the discretion of the employer. But at other times, bonus payments are required under the terms of an applicable employment agreement. When that is the case – and the bonuses aren’t paid – employers can find themselves in some pretty serious trouble. A case from South Carolina shows…

When managers see an employee do something wrong, their instinct is often to call out the behavior and correct it immediately. Unless the employee has done something egregiously offensive, pointing out the mistake can turn into a good coaching opportunity. Correct an Employee with Clarity But if you correct an employee with the wrong approach,…

Trump’s DOL seeks to roll back a rule granting FLSA protections to domestic care workers; the Second Circuit allows a claim of hostile work environment created by DEI trainings to proceed; and a GAO report finds alarming levels of sexual abuse in high school Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs.