Supervisors with training responsibilities need to be careful about requiring workers to do preparatory work or other training-related activities on their own time--unless they are authorized to approve overtime for the tasks. That's because nonexempt workers who perform such activities may qualify for overtime pay.
Shop time, or time spent by employees at the shop, is compensable under the FLSA if the employer requires employees to appear at the shop to take part in activities that are indispensable and integral to the employer's principal activities. Travel time, or the time spent by employees traveling between the shop and the job site, is also compensable. (Time spent getting from home to the job site is not compensable.)
Corporate volunteer programs help employers externally by positioning them as good neighbors in their communities and internally by fostering teamwork, improving employee morale, and, in some cases, providing development opportunities. However, such programs can also increase an employer's legal exposure, cautions Attorney David Strand.
When it comes to the effectiveness of flexible workplaces, opinions have been a lot easier to come by than hard data--until now. A new report documents what happens when employees are given flexibility in such things as their hours and ability to work from home.
A recent study at an industrial plant produced tangible proof of something
that HR professionals and shift supervisors have suspected all along: Accident
risk increases significantly the longer an employee works.
Count on American workers to keep up on the latest minimum-wage and fair-employment laws from the federal government - but not so with state labor laws.
