The Department of Labor's campaign to protect short-term employees from being denied access to entitled benefits has resulted in more than $1 million in back wages and damages being restored to employees. Temporary workers are often misclassified by their employers to reduce costs, but can result in significant financial loses for federal and state department…

The safety of temporary workers while they are on the job might get a boost, thanks to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).OSHA announced the launch of an initiative to protect contract employees from occupational hazards during a Workers' Memorial Day celebration on April 28. Under the new program, OSHA hopes to determine the conditions…

The company's employee benefits administration may want to consider reevaluating their paid leave policy in light of a new study.According to a recent report by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR), the United States is trailing other high-income industrialized countries in providing paid leave to parents after they welcome a new child. Under the Family…

Employee benefits administrations have begun implementing wellness initiatives into company culture to increase employee health and engagement. A recent panel of experts spoke with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) about increased federal guidance coming to wellness programs.Wellness programs have risen in popularity among HR departments as a beneficial way to invest in worker mental and…

Keeping in compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) does not have to be difficult for HR administrations. Human resource professionals can employ technology to track employee benefits and data to make an informed choice about hiring new workers without accruing penalties under the act.Employers are increasingly trying to cut costs before ACA goes into effect.…

This year's graduating class might have stronger career prospects due to the stabilizing economy, but a recent survey shows recruiters do not think recent graduates are prepared for the job market. Barry University is attempting to coordinate academics with hiring realities. Payroll management and HR services should stay up to date on how college students…

Randstad reported employee confidence about job security in the engineering industry declined from the end of last year. HR administrations should remember to stay up to date on how members of the workforce see their position security and benefits. Alleviating concerns can boost workplace morale and increase employee productivity.According to Randstad's Q1 2013 Engineering Employee Confidence…

After acquiring a new hire, HR professionals might see their work as done. But instituting an on-boarding program for effective training and opportunities for feedback can help reduce the turnover rate of new employees. According to the Human Capital Institute, 70 percent of recently employed staff know if they are going to leave a company within…

The rise in jobs throughout April and an increase in HR administrations hiring new employees helped shrink the unemployment rate. According to the latest unemployment data, jobless claims dropped at the end of April to the lowest level in almost five years. The Department of Labor reports that the number of applications for unemployment insurance payments dropped by 18,000…

HR administrations might want to consider examining their company's payroll management due to more workers feeling insecure about the security of their income and benefits. The new Harris Poll Jobs and Benefits Security Index found less employees are confident about their career prospects than in March.The poll surveyed 935 members of the workforce in April…