People First

There are specific guidelines to follow when paying an employee to be on-call. The rule of thumb is that if being on-call restricts or limits the employee from having the freedom to come and go, the they must be compensated for the time they are on-call. For example, if the employer requires the employee to...

The IRS sets the guidelines on who is considered an employee (receives a W-2) and a contractor (receives a 1099). Employers need to make sure they have properly classified these individuals because the government is coming down hard on violators. It’s important to understand that a contractor is not an employee. They don’t receive benefits....

There is a federal minimum wage. In addition, many states have their own minimum wage which sometimes is higher than the federal minimum wage. The rule of thumb is whatever benefits the employee more is what is to be followed. So knowing what the minimum wage in your state is important. Anyone in the hospitality...

This is a very common question and an area where mistakes in pay practices occur. The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has rules in place that define what positions in a company are exempt from overtime. The decision is not the employee’s nor is it the employer’s decision. The determination of exempt versus...

Training leads to more confidence, better decision-making for individuals. When they have that training, they feel they understand the why’s of what they do, as opposed to just doing it or because it’s the way it’s always been done. I remember early on in my career, I followed the lead from my director but never...

Training not only is a benefit to the employee, it also benefits the organization. Why?  Training not only develops the individual but with the gained knowledge, skills and abilities, the team member will be more productive and will have a sense of accomplishment, be more secure in their job and will take less time off...

In my many years of working in HR, I’ve seen many situations where issues could have been avoided with training or educating employees with regard to diversity. We are all different.  We have different beliefs, were raised differently and have a different tolerance for certain behaviors.   Training provides an understanding of these differences.  Insensitive behavior...

Sexual harassment is an on-going issue and harassment training is vital to an organization. First of all, bringing awareness to both employees and management is important when it comes to harassment of any kind.   In order to bring awareness, there must be a formal training program for both. A harassment policy needs to be...

I was fortunate early in my career to work for an employer who paid for me to earn my Master’s Degree.  I wanted to do something to give back to my employer for this great benefit and so for my thesis, I developed a Career Development Program for the company.  As part of the program...

Onboarding is the process of introducing a new hire to the organization.  This is a very important process.  While some people think onboarding is that first day when someone comes to work, it really is a long-term plan for each new hire.  It is a process that can go on for years long-term. It begins...