Classifying an employee as exempt or nonexempt from the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is among the most important tasks that employers must perform. Every year, thousands of lawsuits are filed by employees who allege they were misclassified, and they often win millions of dollars in back pay and fees.

There are specific steps to follow for determining whether an employee qualifies for a particular exemption, but the general process of employee classification is roughly the same for all of the exemptions. Follow these steps to classify an employee under the FLSA and consult with your FrankAdvice HR Consultant as needed.

You’re a manager of a busy department. A job offer has been extended to a great applicant, and she calls to accept the position. She asks specifics about the benefits package your company offers and then about maternity leave because she is pregnant.

With the summer season comes the opportunity for outdoor activities and a lighter summer wardrobe. As employers, this could pose both opportunities and challenges. Here are some topics to keep in mind and prepare you for this upcoming season.

Equal Pay Law

Some jobs, such as evening, weekend, and summer work, attract a high number of applicants under the age of 18. Hiring these applicants makes good business sense to many companies. Employers considering using child labor must understand their responsibilities with the employment of minors (individuals under 18 years of age).

Between a global pandemic and the Great Resignation/Great Reset, it’s clear to see that the workplace is changing. As unemployment rates have declined, employees consider career changes, and automation/AI is revolutionizing the way we work, employers are looking for ways to retain and attract talent. This is where reskilling and upskilling may be useful to your business.

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.