There was a great article in the New York Times a while back. Adam Bryant, author of the weekly Corner Office column, compiled the information he garnered from interviewing top C.E.O.'s to explore traits common to successful corporate leaders. One trait he identified was "passionate...
In an effort to avoid annoying and unnecessary communication, are we insulating ourselves from opportunity? Take this situation that happened just yesterday. I had a lead for someone and didn't have his email address. I called the receptionist to get it. She, rather unpleasantly, answered, "That...
The halls have been decked, and employees have donned their gay apparel; everyone appears to be in good cheer at the office holiday party, held on a Saturday night at an off-site location. But there's a problem: some employees are passing around "gag" gifts, items...
One of my employees, after alleging that a popular supervisor sexually harassed her, has also claimed to have been repeatedly harassed by several coworkers angry at her for filing a complaint against this supervisor, with whom they are friends. Could the coworkers' actions lead to...
If an employer has 13 full-time employees, each of whom works 40 hours per week, and 10 part-time employees, each of whom works 20 hours per week, can this employer qualify as a “small-employer plan” under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)? Yes. After a...
In light of recent military-related amendments to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), should I update the FMLA notice currently posted in my employees' break room? Yes. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which generally applies to employers with 50 or more employees, was...
Despite the passage of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, or HIRE Act, some employers are not taking advantage of the benefits afforded by the law. Since these benefits currently only apply to qualified individuals hired before January 1, 2011, employers should make every...
Determining whether a new worker should be classified as an employee or an independent contractor has always been an important decision. The choice is not always an easy one, and the absence of a clear-cut rule of universal application often leads to inadvertent misclassifications. Moreover,...
In many states, including Florida, workers' compensation insurance rates are set by the state, which means that regardless of which insurance company ultimately provides the insurance, the rates remain the same. Therefore, unlike with other types of insurance, consumers are limited in their ability to...
It's settled law that workers' compensation insurance covers employees when their injuries “arise out of and in the course and scope of employment.” But it's possible that employees who are injured while participating in company-sponsored recreational activities may also qualify for workers' compensation. This determination...