When it comes to classifying employees, there are two basic types that workers fall under: exempt or nonexempt. One of the most significant differences between the two categories is eligibility for overtime pay. Employers are required to pay nonexempt workers at least one and a half times the regular rate of pay for work performed over 40 hours in a workweek. Exempt employees are not required to be paid overtime, though certain salary and job duties criteria must be met.

It is crucial to follow the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regulations governing whether an employee is exempt from overtime because misclassifying a worker has serious repercussions for employers. As with most laws affecting the employer-employee relationship, the FLSA and its classification rules are complex, and the official guidance changes over time.

Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted many areas of business operations, notably human resources. Between navigating furloughs, keeping up morale, and reconfiguring workflows to accommodate remote work, professionals with HR duties played a pivotal function for organizations. Additionally, COVID-19 magnified pre-existing business challenges with supply chain, competition, and access to capital, forever changing certain industries as a result.

The continuing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic mean HR systems and functions, as well as compliance risk, will continue to be challenging in 2021. Many employers have turned to outside HR resources as a way to alleviate the overload, especially if they’ve reduced staff or are looking to ramp up hiring and onboarding in the coming year.

The pandemic has caused a lot of businesses to pivot and adjust to a work-from-home arrangement. As employees stay home and refrain from going into the office or workplace, they still need to use technology to do their jobs. We can't get around it - computers, the internet, and wi-fi are crucial and many depend on them to fulfill their job responsibilities. However, having employees work from home exposes employers to a host of cyber risks that they may not have faced when their workers were in the office or at the workplace.

Cybersecurity Checklist [Download]

COVID-19 has opened the door for a variety of scams as merciless hackers target unsuspecting computer users. Employers need to be aware of the risks that the pandemic has created on the cyber front and the scams that their employees could see, and they also need to know how to help their remote employees keep their computers secure. Here's what employers should know.

As businesses continue to push for higher levels of quality, service, and overall business agility, the pressure on individuals at the managerial level is on the rise. Managers are deluged with sets of competing demands, challenged with leading teams made up of different personalities, and ordered to do more with less. As a result, they find themselves working longer hours and become more prone to experiencing work burnout.

A recent survey conducted by Gallup found that out of 7,500 full-time employees, nearly 23 percent reported feeling burned out at work often, while an additional 44% reported feeling burned out sometimes. 

To make matters worse, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing managers and employees to struggle with the transition to working from home, keeping workspaces healthy and virus-free, job insecurity, and a list of other concerns. As a result, managers may find themselves experiencing feelings of isolation, exhaustion, or resentment. 

Even the most resilient managers who began their careers with zest and drive can succumb to burnout due to a variety of challenges and stresses. According to a survey conducted by Deloitte, 77% of professionals have experienced burnout at their current job due to factors such as lack of support and recognition, unrealistic expectations and deadlines, as well as working long hours.

Work Burnout Infographic [Download]

When managers hit their limits, it’s almost impossible to support team members or help them avoid their own burnout. Recognizing burnout symptoms early is crucial for managers, not only for their own well-being but also for the well-being of their employees.

When you think of a nonprofit organization, you might picture an army of volunteers graciously donating their time without pay. In reality, nonprofits run much like corporations with paid employees and regularly scheduled paydays. They face challenges similar to for-profit businesses like accurately withholding payroll taxes while also facing obstacles unique to nonprofits such as staying within a tightly limited budget, using grant money for certain payroll expenses, and determining reasonable executive compensation. While all this may sound overwhelming, proactive research and preparation can help make understanding and implementing nonprofit payroll easier. Here’s a look at what leaders of nonprofit organizations need to know.

As waves of COVID-19 cross the country and state and local stay-at-home orders are phased in and out (and in again), employers have big decisions to make about not only when employees should return to work, but also how.

COVID-19 has heightened awareness of our health and safety like nothing else in recent memory, and it has left many to worry about the role that their surroundings play in terms of cleanliness and protection. One of the biggest fears that many are facing is the prospect of returning to work mid-COVID-19.

In a CBS News poll, 70% of respondents reported the top national priority should be to “try to slow the spread of coronavirus by keeping people home and social distancing, even if the economy is hurt in the short term.” In essence, the survey reveals a real-time conversation playing out in which many people are left speculating what the return-to-work plans will be in the coming months.

Some employers have already jumped in and called employees back to work, while some have extended work-at-home policies through the end of 2020. There is no one right answer for every employer. But if you do decide to bring employees back, or due to your industry your workplace never closed in the first place, you should be prepared to diligently implement the changing best practices to reduce workers’ exposure to COVID-19 in the coming months, or perhaps even year.

 The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a domino effect of unprecedented events to disrupt the global economy – massive layoffs, the plummet of the stock market, interruptions to supply chain and demand, and the closing of "non-essential" businesses – all of which have been defining the new normal for today's world.

As COVID-19 cases continue to grow worldwide, employers and employees alike are scrambling to adapt to the restrictive social distancing protocols and stay-at-home orders. The uncertainty of what the workplace stands to lose – and gain – from the changes brought on by COVID-19 has caused immense levels of stress about returning to work post-pandemic.  

While COVID-19 will inevitably leave its mark on the workplace, employers can use the pandemic as an opportunity to transform current challenges into something positive, to come out better on the other side. Through an idea known as post-traumatic growth (PTG), businesses can move beyond merely accepting the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and find the silver linings.

Communication with employees is the foundation of success for any business. It's even more crucial during a crisis.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the present and future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders are forced to address issues they never have before. Some are finding that their current internal crisis communication plan needs tailoring to tackle the unique challenges posed by COVID-19. For others, this will be a crash course in crisis communications.

To effectively communicate with employees during difficult times, it's essential to keep employees' psychological wellness in mind by being transparent, empathetic, and responsive. Here are a few tips you can follow to keep workplace morale from sinking, promote productivity, and position your company to be an employer of choice on the other side of the crisis.

Owning a restaurant comes with responsibilities to both patrons and employees. For patrons, food quality, a clean environment, and friendly customer service top the list. When it comes to employees, a safe working environment, proper training and equipment, and friendly managers and coworkers are key to keeping them engaged and happy. But one thing outweighs all other worker benefits: meeting expectations on payday. If you don't provide employees with the right amount of wages at the right time, everything else becomes irrelevant.

Research from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows companies that invest in a detailed, effective onboarding program retain 50% more of their new hires than their competitors. Similarly, employees who have a positive onboarding experience are 69% more likely to stay employed at their current company for at least three years. With the unemployment rate reaching new lows, signaling a decrease in potential new hires, it’s more important than ever to invest time in crafting a good onboarding experience.