You may be violating an employment law just by trying to be nice to your employees, says a new report. The California Chamber of Commerce has produced a white paper cataloging the top 10 mistakes most likely to get a company sued. While a few of the laws cited apply specifically to California, some of them are federal and may apply in your state. The report observes: “Employers may unintentionally violate employment laws simply by trying to provide some flexibility for an employee, save money for the company or just be nice.” Here are the top 10 mistakes: 1. Classifying  [ Read More ]

Small Businesses and the Affordable Care Act You know the value of providing health insurance to your employees. But it can be a real challenge for small businesses. On average, small businesses pay about 18% more than large firms for the same health insurance policy. And small businesses lack the purchasing power that larger employers have. The health care law provides tax credits and soon – the ability to shop for insurance in Exchanges that help close this gap. Top Things to Know for Small Businesses If you have up to 25 employees, pay average annual wages below $50,000, and  [ Read More ]

By Eve Tahmincioglu, Today contributor There’s a simple workplace axiom: You put in your hours and get paid for them. Alas, this doesn’t always happen. There’s been a record spike in wage and hour violation claims by employees thanks to sustained tough economic times, an increase in enforcement by the government, and confusion over — or disregard of — overtime pay provisions. Already this year, there have been a record number of lawsuits filed under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which covers wage and hour provisions, with 7,064 filed so far this year. That’s up from 7,006 filed for all  [ Read More ]

By: Nolo Law for All Use a noncompete agreement to prevent losing valuable trade secrets and employees. After losing scores of valuable employees (and trade secrets) to competitors, a growing number of employers are asking, or requiring, employees to sign noncompete agreements. By signing a noncompete agreement, an employee promises not to work for a direct competitor for a specified period of time after he leaves the company. Here’s the lowdown on whether it’s worth asking your employees to sign one, and how to create an agreement that will pass muster with a judge. How Noncompete Agreements Protect Your Business  [ Read More ]

By: The Wall Street Journal | Management By JOE PALAZZOLO And EMILY GLAZER Federal prosecutors investigating whether U.S. executives at Avon Products Inc. broke foreign-bribery laws have presented evidence in the probe to a grand jury, people familiar with the matter said. Authorities are focused on a 2005 internal audit report by the company that concluded Avon employees in China may have been bribing officials in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to three people familiar with the matter. Avon had earlier said it first learned of bribery allegations in 2008. The audit found several hundred thousand dollars  [ Read More ]