Spring is the time of year when our thoughts go to the outdoors, where we may envision a relaxing day in a park or on a beach.

In the digital age, consumers look up reviews online for everything from insurance providers to toothpaste. Even your local jail probably has online reviews! Employers are not exempt from this trend and websites like Glassdoor and Indeed provide opportunities for employees to write reviews about their places of employment. While positive reviews can be a boost for recruiting purposes, what if an employee writes a scathingly negative review about your company? Or perhaps they write a bad review on a website highly visible to your customers, such as Google? While an initial reaction may be to retaliate and fire the employee or to respond online directly for the world to see, take a step back and consider these tips first:

Of all the obstacles and surprises managers know may be heading their way each day, the one they usually least anticipate and prepare for is the resignation of a seemingly happy and extremely valued employee. With the current labor market, are you noticing employees resigning for other positions? Are you worried about keeping your best talent? Consider stay interviews.

With the prevalence of workplace romances and the drama they can bring, many employers opt to put policies in place that forbid these types of relationships. It’s a quick and easy way to avoid the complications that come with workplace dating. However, these policies are not always effective and can result in employees dating in secret, which can lead to its own issues. This is where a love contract may be a good option.

Seven States: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, New York, Washington, and the District of Columbia, mandate Sexual Harassment Training for some or all private-sector employers and employees. An additional four states: Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont, “encourage” but do not require training. For the remaining 39 states, anti-harassment training is considered a “best practice.”

Have you ever started a new job and felt completely lost on the first day? Starting a new job can be exciting, but it can also be very stressful and overwhelming. Assigning a workplace buddy who can help ease someone’s transition into a new role can be very beneficial for all involved.

The U. S. Department of Labor (DOL) introduced the 80/20 rule in 1988 which stated that an employee was no longer a “tipped employee” when they spent more than 20% of their time in a workweek performing side work. After litigation and court opinions in the subsequent years, the DOL began dismantling the 80/20 rule in 2018. The DOL issued a rule in December 2020 which would have done away with the 80/20 rule. However, the DOL withdrew this rule prior to its effective date and in June 2021 issued a proposal to strengthen the 80/20 rule. The final rule has been published.