The Employer Handbook Blog

Bookmark This: Starbucks and a lesson on leadership and accountability

April 17, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Screenshot taken from https://news.starbucks.com/views/a-follow-up-message-from-starbucks-ceo-in-philadelphia

Starbucks was riding a pretty good HR streak in 2018. Among other things, the coffee giant had attained 100% gender and racial equality and announced investments in paid leave. Yep, things were lookin’ really good for Starbucks.

Then, last week, things got really bad. Continue reading

Dear Handbook: Does the FLSA require that non-exempt employees get paid for 16-minutes of intermittent FMLA leave?

April 16, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Pixabay.com (https://pixabay.com/en/two-ginger-cats-licking-loving-650546/)

We’re gonna try a new feature here at The Employer Handbook.

It’s where I take a new U.S. Department of Labor Opinion Letter and tweak it as if someone is asking me for my opinion on the precise legal issue on which the DOL is being asked to opine, but with slightly different facts.

It can’t miss. Continue reading

Can you legally fire an employee who butt-dials you while talking smack about the company…to a co-worker?

April 13, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot

I have trained you well. We’re gonna cut the ropes to let you fight Tong Po.

(Maybe, going with a random Kickboxer reference wasn’t the best metaphor for this audience.)

Ok, let’s start over. Continue reading

Can you legally fire an employee who butt-dials you while talking smack about the company?

April 12, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Taken with a selfie stick and way too much effort.

Easy there, folks. My servers can only handle so much traffic on a Thursday. Continue reading

Happy (?) Belated Equal Pay Day

April 11, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Pixabay.com (https://pixabay.com/en/money-finance-business-success-2696238/)

I’ll be honest. Not only am I late by a day in recognizing Equal Pay Day, but I don’t know the etiquette.

Is it “happy”?

I can’t imagine why anyone would be happy about it. Heck, I just Googled and was immediately shown “11 Gender Wage Gap Statistics That Will Scare The Crap Out Of You.” Continue reading

Very special FMLA/ADA greetings from Huntsville, Alabama

April 10, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

I took this picture. Not bad, eh?

Filed under: “Didn’t think I’d be saying that in 2018.”

But, it’s all good.

I am grateful to Ben Eubanks and the Northern Alabama Chapter of Society for Human Resource Management for this opportunity to debut my new and improved “My Employees Can Miss How Much Work?!? Managing the Challenges of Leave Under the FMLA and ADA?” to a fantastic audience of HR professionals in Huntsville, AL today.

Remember the woman fired for flipping off the Trump motorcade? Now, she’s suing.

April 9, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Photofunia.com

Remember that time one of your employees:

rode her bike,
passed the President’s motorcade,
was photographed giving him the middle finger, and
became a national celebrity/spectacle (depending on your point of view)?

For an employee of a Virginia GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR (oops!), it resulted in her termination of employment late last year. (More on that here.)

As I say a silent prayer to the blogging gods, read on as I discuss the lawsuit the cyclist just filed against her former employer and offer some practical advice for employers. Continue reading