Even if you already have an HR department, there are times when your team simply can’t do it all. Hiring freezes, unexpected turnover, rapid growth, or special projects can stretch your HR resources thin. That’s when Fractional HR services can be a game-changer by providing experienced support that flexes with your needs.

One of the more esoteric areas of employment law is the use of limitation of action clauses in handbooks and other employment documents. A limitation of action agreement, as the name suggests, limits the amount the time in which an employee may bring some sort of wrongful employment claim against the employer – a sometimes handy tool.

In the movie “Her,” Joaquin Phoenix plays a man who falls in love with his AI assistant.  Could it happen in real life?  According to Live Science, a scientific magazine, modern AI assistants like Alexa have increasingly human-like qualities that raise users' propensity to engage and form emotional bonds – even to the point of falling in love. Studies show that people can fall in love or form close friendships with AI, even while fully aware that AI is not...

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is sounding the alarm after a surge in struck-by incidents has made them the leading cause of workplace deaths in Michigan this year. As of August 5, 2025, 10 of the 22 workplace fatalities investigated by MIOSHA were the result of workers being struck by moving vehicles, heavy equipment, or falling objects – tragic events that safety experts say are entirely preventable.

Paid Time Off (PTO) is designed to give employees a break from the demands of work allowing time to rest, recharge, and return refreshed. But for many workers, vacation doesn’t feel like a true break. Thanks to smartphones, laptops, and an always-on work culture, many employees are still answering emails, joining meetings, and completing tasks while they’re supposed to be off the clock. This erosion of real time off has become a growing concern for both employee well-being and...

Willing to work long hours? We want you: If you think free time is overrated, this is the job market for you. Corporate job listings this summer stress long hours, a competitive business environment, and the importance of hustle. It might seem impractical to recruit applicants with a pitch that loosely translates to “this is going to hurt.” But we’re a long way from 2022.  Americans are facing months-long job searches and competition from laid-off workers as companies...

As leaders, we’re constantly making decisions – some in the moment, others with far-reaching implications. And while data and analysis often guide us, there’s another layer beneath the spreadsheets: the internal voice we rely on when we make judgment calls. The challenge is knowing whether that voice is instinct, intuition, or fear.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced it will reinstate its Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) Program that was discontinued under the Obama Administration and has added certain FMLA coverage as well. The PAID program allows for:

According to a recent Resume Now survey of 1,000 American workers, 70% say they’ve seen leaders play favorites. Nearly half (43%) have seen favoritism factor into promotions, raises, or recognition. Alarmingly, one in four believe leadership protects a “toxic top performer” at the expense of others.

With measles on the rise, what should employers do if an employee has it?  Right now, Measles primarily affects children and those unvaccinated. As of June 3, 2025, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's U.S. Measles Tracker reported there were 1,151 confirmed cases of Measles in the United States.

Human Resources information is one of the most commonly exposed assets in cyberattacks, according to a new report from Lab 1.

VETS 4212 reporting started August 1: On August 1, VETS 4212 reporting for federal contractors began.  The U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) and Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) have supported affirmative actions to employ and advance in employment of covered veterans since 2008.

A new phenomenon is slowly gaining attention in the workplace called quiet cracking, and it’s quietly chipping away at employee morale, motivation, and productivity.

Employers with operations or employees in multiple states face challenges when creating policies that comply with varying state regulations. Many states now have different requirements related to areas like pay transparency and paid time off, and new employment laws are being introduced regularly.

Most of the country has heard by now about the cheating scandal that rattled tech start-up, Astronomer, when their CEO and CPO were caught on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert. The two C-suite executives, allegedly having an affair, were called out by the singer for either just being shy or looking guilty. The moment went viral, resulting in a public relations nightmare for the two employees and their employer. It’s hard to resist the drama of a workplace scandal, but beyond the...

With cell phones and listening devices now a part of everyday life, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for employers, especially HR, to manage situations where employees record conversations at work, from casual talks with managers to formal disciplinary meetings. The following guide outlines what HR professionals should know about when recording is allowed and when it’s not.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are pivotal moments in a business’s lifecycle. M&A activity can reshape your organization in lasting ways. But without a clear communication plan, even the most strategic deal can unravel due to confusion, panic, or misalignment.

Workday bleeds into all hours: Workers slid into the habit of working at all hours during the pandemic, when many worked from home. Though fewer people are fully remote now, many are still toiling into the night and say an expanding load of meetings, emails, and actual work are a big reason.

According to Warren Buffett, success can be measured with just one word – “love” – meaning that wealth and acclaim pale when compared to the depth of our human connections. But what if we reframe that wisdom through the lens of empathy? Instead of asking how much we are loved, we could ask how deeply we understand and respond to others.

The Michigan Court of Claims ruled that Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) law applies to collective bargaining agreements that do not address earned sick time off for workers. The Michigan Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) sued the MI Labor and Economic Opportunity Department (LEO) saying the Department did not interpret ESTA correctly.

If you’ve noticed a younger employee holding your gaze with a blank, unreadable expression, you’re not alone. What’s been dubbed the “Gen Z stare” is making waves both online and in the workplace. Though some dismiss it as a passive, disengaged look, or even a silent form of rebellion, experts suggest that this generational behavior signals something much deeper.

On June 4, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding certain eligibility requirements, including filing, petitions for classification, and change of status relating to the TN (or Treaty NAFTA) nonimmigrant visa classification under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), formerly known as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Many employers focus on enhancing the employee experience by offering perks beyond standard pay and benefits. While these extras require an investment of time and money, they can deliver a strong return if the perks are genuinely valuable to employees and used as intended.

New federal minimum wage? Republican Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) on Tuesday introduced legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour from the current $7.25 per hour.  If adopted, the bill, dubbed the “Higher Wages for American Works Act of 2025,” would increase the hourly standard wage to $15 starting Jan. 1, 2026,

Since 1978 Michigan has had its own personnel file law that is commonly called the Bullard-Plawecki Employee Right to Know Act (also called the Sunshine in the Personnel File law) that requires employers to allow an employee to access information in their personnel files. It defines what and what is not considered a “personnel record.” The definition is quite broad but contains some exceptions that are not considered personnel records listed below: