Law Office Manager

Employee benefits

Does your law office owe employees paid sick leave when they self-quarantine?

By Lynne Curry bio Question: After I spent a weekend bar hopping, I felt remorseful, and self-quarantined so I wouldn’t bring COVID into my workplace and make others ill. I also took a COVID-19 test and luckily tested negative. Since my law office employer had moved everyone back on-site, I couldn’t work remotely and labeled my time off as sick leave. I just got my paycheck … [Read more...] about Does your law office owe employees paid sick leave when they self-quarantine?

How HR regulations could change under Biden administration

By Mike O'Brien bio Employers may be wondering how a Biden administration will affect workplace laws. Prior to the election, Biden’s campaign website gives some clues as to his priorities in this area. Biden lists the failure to pay minimum wage and overtime pay, forcing off-the-clock work, and misclassifying workers as problems resulting in billions of dollars a year in wage … [Read more...] about How HR regulations could change under Biden administration

COVID, opioids and payroll taxes on HR radar

By Mike O’Brien bio Applicants, testing, and screening The EEOC has said you cannot test applicants for COVID-19 until after a conditional job offer. Fine, makes sense. What about taking temperatures? You can take a temperature of visitors to your business/office to make sure they are not bringing COVID-19 with them. In fact, you may have an OSHA duty to do so to protect your … [Read more...] about COVID, opioids and payroll taxes on HR radar

Are employers responsible/liable for an employee’s home ergonomics, safety and expenses?

By Lynne Curry bio Question: COVID-19 has caused employers large and small to require the employers work from home rather than their employer’s worksites. Word has it that this may continue beyond weeks and months and become the new normal. What is my employer’s responsibility/liability for workplace ergonomics and safety when my home becomes my workplace? Do they need to … [Read more...] about Are employers responsible/liable for an employee’s home ergonomics, safety and expenses?

Employment law changing on the fly in response to COVID-19

By Mike O’Brien bio COVID-19 has ushered in a variety of new, and fast-evolving employment law changes, from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). EMPLOYEE RETENTION TAX CREDIT:  The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) includes a tax credit for employers that retain … [Read more...] about Employment law changing on the fly in response to COVID-19

New overtime rule now in effect

By Mike O’Brien bio Jan. 1, 2020 was the deadline to comply with new FLSA overtime rule. At the end of September the Department of Labor issued its long-awaited final rule updating the salary level test for white-collar overtime exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Under the new rule, the minimum salary level for exemption is raised from $455 a week to $684 a week, … [Read more...] about New overtime rule now in effect

Pay rates, vacations while recovering, gig economy

By Mike O’Brien bio Department of Labor enters final stage of update to ‘regular rate’ rule under FLSA. As we have discussed previously in these updates, the Department of Labor has been working to update the definition of “regular rate” of pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The regular rate is used to calculate overtime pay. The rule has not been updated in half a … [Read more...] about Pay rates, vacations while recovering, gig economy

The importance of recognizing your employees’ hard work

Happy Administrative Professionals Week! What have you got planned to acknowledge your hard-working support staff? If you've decided to do nothing this year, you may want to rethink that. According to a survey conducted by staffing firm OfficeTeam, two-thirds (66 percent) of workers surveyed said they'd likely leave their job if they didn't feel appreciated. In contrast, just … [Read more...] about The importance of recognizing your employees’ hard work

3-point retention strategy

By Julie Ellison  bio Great law offices are built with great people. In today's competitive employment market, it's hard enough to recruit those great people, but the real challenge is getting them to stay. Traditional retention strategies haven't worked so it's time to take a fresh look at how to keep the best people you have. Benefits vs. retention We often confuse … [Read more...] about 3-point retention strategy