Q&A: How many hours can I assign to a part-time employee? Is there a limit?

Q&A: How many hours can I assign to a part-time employee? Is there a limit?

Answer from Laura, SHRM-CP: There’s no specific limit to the number of hours you can assign to a part-time employee, as it’s up to you to decide how many hours employees need to work in a week to be considered full-time. I recommend abiding by the standards you’ve set. So, for example, if you define […]

Affirmation: Independence is Fulfilling

Affirmation: Independence is Fulfilling

As I traverse this wonderfully complex world, I treasure my freedom. When I wake up each morning, I smile at the possibilities that the day has in store for me. Knowing that I alone dictate my movements gives me the fearlessness to conquer. I step out with confidence because I believe in my abilities and […]

Q&A: What is the difference between a discretionary bonus and a non-discretionary bonus?

Q&A: What is the difference between a discretionary bonus and a non-discretionary bonus?

A discretionary bonus, as its name implies, is a bonus in which the employer has discretion as to whether to pay it and what amount it will be. In other words, there’s no promise or agreement that a discretionary bonus will be paid. A surprise holiday bonus is one example. A non-discretionary bonus, on the […]

Affirmation: I will not let negativity steal my joy

Affirmation: I will not let negativity steal my joy

Unfortunately negativity can take over your life without you really knowing it. It’s perfectly normal to be in a bad mood every now and then, but sometimes you’ll be so overwhelmingly negative that it’ll get in the way of reaching your goals. Having a negative attitude hurts the people around you. Perhaps more importantly, it […]

Affirmation: How Stress Affects You

Affirmation: How Stress Affects You

How Stressful Thinking Affects You  We all encounter stress from day to day and minute to minute, but how we deal with stress determines whether it moves us forward or holds us back. Stressful thinking is often frenzied, inaccurate, and unreliable, yet many of us go through life thinking and behaving in stressful manners. Many […]

Q&A: Can an employee returning from FMLA leave be placed in a different role?

Q&A: Can an employee returning from FMLA leave be placed in a different role?

Generally not. Upon return from FMLA leave, employees must be restored to the same job or one nearly identical to it with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms and conditions. To be truly equivalent, the job must involve the same or substantially similar duties and responsibilities and require substantially equivalent skill, effort, responsibility, and […]

Affirmation: 5 Ways to Reprogram Your Thoughts

Affirmation: 5 Ways to Reprogram Your Thoughts

Our thoughts are tricky things to control. Our beliefs and habits are often hidden from us, but these are two of the things that have great influence over our thoughts. Your thoughts influence your actions. If you want to change your behavior and results, it’s important to gain control over your thoughts. This has been […]

Q&A: What happens if someone is misclassified as an independent contractor?

Q&A: What happens if someone is misclassified as an independent contractor?

There are many potential liabilities resulting from misclassification and they come from several sources: namely, the IRS, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, federal wage and hour law, and state wage and hour law. An employer will owe up to three years of back taxes on the misclassified employee’s wages, in addition to fines and interest. They […]