Employment law, along with ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, are two significant aspects of managing a workforce. They are both also convoluted and can cause an organization a lot of headache if not approached appropriately. Not only are Federal regulations complex and constantly evolving, it’s important to consider that various states have laws that are specific to the workforce in that state. If your organization holds contracts with the federal government there are several additional regulations that need to be monitored. As a leader of an organization, it’s important to have the right team on your side.

According to the 48th Annual Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey released in April of this year, there has been a significant uptick among U.S. companies relocating employees since 2013. With this trend set to continue throughout 2015 and beyond, it is important for your organization to establish a relocation policy. You want a policy that is not only flexible but also takes into account well-known relocation factors to ensure a smooth move for your employees and your organization. If your organization does not have a lot of experience with relocating employees domestically, don't worry, I am providing a list of five considerations you should build into your policy that can help ensure a smooth transition for both candidates and current employees.

By now you are probably overloaded with all the changes and deadlines that fall under the Affordable Care Act. As we muddle through all these rulings, there always seems to be a new regulation associated with it that we either did not know about or the information is vague. One that recently came to my attention was the fines businesses can incur if they reimburse employees for individual non-group health plans.

“Uh oh Human Resources is in the building!” “Shhh…don’t say anything Human Resources is here!” “I better not say that because there is our HR person!” As a professional providing HR outsourcing, I believe we have all heard these statements or something similar. Now at first glance, this could provide a bit of a chuckle, but let’s take a deeper dive into the real background noise of it all.

What is an Employee Handbook and Why Do We Need One? An Employee Handbook is a guide that gives organizations a tool to communicate the expectations, role and responsibilities, as well as current policies and procedures within the organization to all employees. Legally there is no requirement for companies to provide an employee handbook; it does however, offer confirmation of processes and procedures if ever questioned legally. When a company reaches 15 employees, it's time to implement an employee handbook as a best practice. This is because at 15 employees, several federal acts apply such as the Civil Rights, Americans with Disabilities, and the Pregnancy Leave Act.

The regulations covering FMLA are extensive. For employers it’s critical that the staff tasked with administering FMLA understand their responsibilities. There are features of FMLA that are easier to negotiate, such as duration and what forms to use. On the other hand, there are elements of FMLA law that can often lead to misunderstandings and missteps, landing businesses in hot water due to noncompliance. One area that is often misinterpreted are the rules applied to key employees. Below are some of the misconceptions and important distinctions in managing leave for key employees.