Many of our clients seek clarification regarding training pay and when they are required to compensate non-exempt employees for the lectures, meetings, and trainings they attend. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to compensate employees for all hours worked.  Hours worked ordinarily…

While OSHA’s 2012 funding remains relatively flat, the organization has proposed major budgetary shifts to the Office of the Whistleblower Protection Program (OWPP). This is part of a strategy to encourage more employees to report alleged workplace violations.

You can read the full press release…

March is a great time to “spring clean” your personnel files.  It isn’t fun but it is necessary if an employer wants to ensure compliance with record retention regulations.  Annual “spring cleaning” or audit also provides an opportunity to correct any issues prior to an external audit by the government or as part of a lawsuit!  Organized and compliant personnel files will improve the overall efficiency of the department-nobody likes searching for…

Determination of worker classification can be complicated but is essential to ensure proper wage and tax payments.  Improper classification can result in governmental fines and wage and hour lawsuits. The IRS and the Department of Labor have both stated their intent to reinvigorated enforcement efforts…

On August 19, 2011, a massive fire broke out at a BP gas station on State Route 16 just outside of Saint Augustine, Florida. A half mile radius was evacuated around the station, the highway was closed, and over 4000 homes and businesses lost power as three fire and rescue units fought to contain the blaze. An…

 The cost of gas is going up again but the IRS has not updated the 2012 mileage rates to reflect the increased price.  Effective January 1, 2012, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

55.5 cents per mile for business miles driven

23…

Creating a congenial workplace and happy workers is something that most employers at least say they are attempting to do. The real question is- do the various program designed by HR to create happier and…

The deadline to post OSHA 300 logs was February 1, 2012. If you haven’t posted yet, don’t panic. You might be exempt. This short video walks you through the record keeping requirements and many exemptions. The video focuses on federal OSHA guidelines; some state agencies may have different requirements. Check…

KPA is in the process of creating a dealer recognition program.  This program is designed to acknowledge the efforts of dealer management and employees in creating a safe and environmentally friendly workplace. This page will provide regular updates on our progress.

2-15-2012 KPA has developed the draft…

With a nod to Valentine’s Day, here’s a little fun for readers who love compliance. The rule of the game is that all the answers start with either the letter V or D.

Please post your answers to comments on this blog page @…

Everyone knows that eyes are more vulnerable to accident and injury than any other part of your body. Just one small, even microscopic foreign particle can do serious or…

Auditing personnel files should be an annual task for the HR Manager or Business Office Manager.  It isn’t fun but it is necessary if an employer wants to ensure compliance with record retention regulations.  Annual personnel file audits also provide an opportunity to correct any issues prior to an…

A colleague told me about an incident at one of her dealerships, where a technician hit his own knee with a hammer and filed a workman’s comp claim. In the story, the man was in a hurry to fix a rusty part on an older vehicle.  He propped the piece of metal against his leg for support, swung a hammer at the…