Blog Posts: Employment

When interviewing job applicants, there are good questions and bad questions. A good question seeks relevant and helpful information about the person applying for the job and about the applicant's job qualifications consistent with a business necessity for asking the question.  A bad question seeks personal information that is irrelevant to the applicant's jo...

A "whistleblower" is someone who reports to management (or in some cases state and federal agencies) that they believe someone in their company is engaged in illegal conduct. There are numerous federal statutes that provide remedies to employees who are terminated or retaliated against for "blowing the whistle." For example, the Sarbanes Oaxley Act prohibits public...

Both federal and state labor authorities are hot on the trail of companies who hire employees and call them "independent contractors."  The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with a number of states, including Arizona, mandating the enforcement of laws pertaining to properly classifying employees as employees...

As high deductible health insurance plans are becoming more popular, an important component is health savings accounts (HSA).  In addition to having current tax advantages, there is specific tax treatment of HSA accounts upon the death of the account holder.  While not a requirement for HR departments, here is a quick tip that employees may find valuable...

Wage and hour law is complex.  Compliance is challenging, and although a company may have both processes and policies in place, a manager or supervisor can put the company at risk for unpaid wages if they are not familiar with all of the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA").  There can be ambiguity as to what time is compensable.  F...

Jobs are becoming more plentiful in our recovering economy. Potential employees may have the luxury of selecting between alternate jobs or may pass on a job with the expectation that a better one will come next. People may no longer have to take the first job that comes their way in order to put food on the table. And, if someone needs a job, sometimes that job off...

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA"), which allows employees time off from their job to bond with their children, care for ill family members, or recover from their own serious health problems — all without fear of losing their job.   The FMLA entitles employees to a total of 12 weeks of unpaid leave during a 12-month ...