Below, Tara Motheral, HR Advisor at ERC, discusses medical marijuana and its impact on workplaces throughout Ohio.

With everchanging political and legislative landscapes, it's important for employers to know and understand the trends that have the potential to impact their business. At ERC, we like to keep informed on legislation and rulings from around the country that may influence how you approach your handbooks, strategies, and even company culture.

After years of conflict amongst lower level courts, the United States Supreme Court has weighed in and settled the uncertainty of whether arbitration agreements and class action waivers are lawful.

We all do it with our counterparts in the industry…we share stories about that uncomfortable discussion that we had to have with an employee, ask our friends how they have handled sensitive situations, and grumble about our never-ending to-do list. However, are you also talking  to people at other organizations about employee salaries? Are hiring or compensation conversations coming up during networking events?  Remember that these discussions could land you in hot water!

Up until January 5, 2018, when employers needed to determine whether the internships they would offer qualify as paid or unpaid, they would turn to the long held 6-part test that was officially enacted by the Department of Labor (DOL) as of 2010. Amidst a number of high profile legal cases brought by unpaid interns against their employers (some of which initially favored the interns in their verdicts), several courts recently found the 6-part test was too rigid.

In this free webinar, we’ll take a deeper dive into the key fundamentals of the ADA that can help you navigate some of the complexities involved.

In 2017, employment and labor decisions have been aplenty. Here are three recent decisions that could have an effect on how you do business.

Absence management comes in many different shapes and sizes. Oftentimes issues arise in the workplace regarding absence management or FMLA and the intricate compliance laws and requirements may make handling the issue more complicated than expected. ERC’s Help Desk compiled a list of frequently asked questions we receive from our local members and with the help of CareWorks, here’s the answers to those questions:

Weapons in the workplace: a growing concern

In a clear sign of the times, ERC’s research has seen “workplace safety” rise to the surface as an area of concern and action for many employers. Setting aside the high profile news stories about workplace violence over the past several years, even here in Northeast Ohio employers have experienced comparatively more incidences of violence in their workplaces firsthand in recent years.