New Salary Floor Has Big Organizational Implications

Most all of the news reporting on the new exempt salary floor taking effect on December 1 has focused on the financials.  The new floor will be $47,476.  The Department of Labor estimates that 4.2 million more workers will be eligible for overtime pay triggering...

NLRB Stretches Concerted Activity to New and Dangerous Level

   We have all heard this one before in a break room, outside in a parking lot, at a bar after work:  Employee A laments “My boss has really been on my back.  She’s blamed me for things that went wrong that really were not my fault.  I’m pretty sure...

NLRB Upends the Franchise World

    Here’s a quick quiz for HR professionals: Company A solely defines all terms and conditions of employment for all of its associates.  It further solely determines the price of all of its products and determines its hours of operation.  Finally, it is solely...

Does Emotional Intelligence Have Practical Limits?

    Emotional intelligence (EQ or EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Peter Salovey and John Mayer have been the most recent leading researchers on emotional intelligence. In their influential article “Emotional...

Is “It Depends” Really a Soft Answer?

       HR professionals are widely known for answering “it depends” in response to a question from management regarding a human resources issue.  And often times the response frustrates the manager who expects equivocation.  Is this fair?  Well, it depends (just...