Archive for the ‘Employee Policies, Handbook, Forms’ Category
WHAT’S NEW FOR 2017
IRS Lowers Mileage Rate by One-Half Cent to 53.5 The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced a decrease of its optional standard mileage reimbursement rate for an employee’s business miles from 54 cents to 53.5 cents, effective January 1, 2017. The government bases its standard mileage rate on an annual study of fixed and variable […]
URGENT NEWS
JUDGE STOPS FEDERAL OVERTIME RULE DAYS BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2016 DEADLINE Earlier this year, the Department of Labor issued its Federal Overtime Exemption Rule, “the Final Rule.” Starting December 1, 2016, this was to raise the minimum salary amounts for certain workers to qualify for overtime exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). See […]
DRESS TO IMPRESS
Employer Must Pay for Work-Required Uniforms Employee uniforms often contribute to creating a vital image for a business. Most people recognize an employee working in a particular chain super store by their red shirt and khaki pants, or a manager at a well-known food market by a button-up Hawaiian shirt. A uniform can become a […]
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE REQUIRED FOR SAN FRANCISCO EMPLOYERS
Groundbreaking Law Creates Paid Time Off for Baby Bonding As part of their ongoing efforts to establish family-friendly workplaces, the City and County of San Francisco are now the first municipalities in the U.S. to require employers to pay for parental leave. The San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Ordinance and its amendment (together, PPLO), starting […]
HOLIDAY SEASON OFFICE PARTY THAT’S NICE, NOT NAUGHTY
Workplace celebrations for end-of-year holidays can build teamwork and morale if properly planned and managed. Here are some suggested do’s and don’ts so your festivities will be a rousing success and not a human resources nightmare. DO: Start by evaluating what type of events best fit your company’s culture, but remember that even if you […]
SUN SETTING ON SAFE HARBOR ON DECEMBER 15, 2016
California Piece Pay Employers’ Final Step Is Payment and Documentation Submitted to the State Several California industries – trucking and agriculture in particular – have utilized “piece-rate” pay for many years, commonly to the benefit of management and employees alike. Drivers have earned by the miles traveled or loads delivered, field workers have made their […]
COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROFESSIONAL OVERTIME EXEMPTION REQUIREMENT
California Labor Code section 515.5 exempts certain computer software professionals from overtime compensation who receive specified minimum compensation. California’s Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has announced its rate increase for this minimum, effective January 1, 2017. To comply with the section 515.5 exemptions, California employers must pay otherwise qualified computer software employees a minimum hourly […]
NEW MINIMUM SALARY LEVELS COMING FOR TOP-FLOOR EXECUTIVES
Federal Increase Due December 1, 2016 To Qualify Exempt-from-Overtime Employees Effective December 1, 2016, the Federal Overtime Exemption Rule, “the Final Rule,” will raise the minimum salary amounts for certain workers to qualify for overtime exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). See New Stricter Federal Requirements on Exemptions from Overtime, Employers Must Comply […]
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
What to Do When There’s a Death in the Family On Monday morning, one of your two salespeople requests three days off to attend his grandmother’s funeral in Minnesota. On Thursday, the other salesperson requests five days off to attend the funeral of a loved one in Hawaii. Are you legally obligated to grant either […]
EMPLOYEE MEAL PERIODS AND REST BREAKS
California’s Basic Requirements for Daily R&R Except for salaried, legitimately exempt-from-overtime workers, California employers must provide each employee with certain numbers of unpaid meal periods and paid rest breaks depending on how many hours that employee works in a given day. Unpaid Meal Periods First Meal Period: Generally, employers may not employ a worker for […]