Articles by Girish Anand

April 5, 2009

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EEOC Flouts FLSA, and Makes Employees Sick

EEOC FLSA

Turns out that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) borrowed a page out of the private sector and reclassified employees as exempt when they should've remained non-exempt employees eligible for overtime pay--a clear violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Affected employees didn't like being awarded comp time instead of time-and-a-half and filed a complaint; an arbitrat...

April 4, 2009

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EFCA Clings to Life

EFCA

You can't kill it, and it comes back to haunt you every time you think it's safe to venture back into society again. It's the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), and even though it lacks the votes to survive a Senate filibuster, it's still stalking American businesses and filling the nation's newsprint, airwaves and cyberspace with endless prattle (like this, huh?). Somehow, I think the unions a...

April 3, 2009

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Payback Time for Pampered Government Workers with Fat Contracts?

collective bargaining government workers union contracts

Us taxpayers (bad Inglish intended) may get the last laugh, or as Karl Marx said, "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce." This time around, the Great Depression II is indeed looking a lot like farce (see D.C., Washington; bailout, Paulsen and Gaithner; Detroit, UAW and Big Three; everywhere, public employee unions). Unionized government workers have always felt, "They can't ...

April 2, 2009

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Your Tax Dollars at Work: NIH Proves Pineal Gland Houses the Soul

NIH pineal gland soul

Rene Descartes is not only turning over in his grave; he's no doubt dancing about and shouting with glee. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have now determined that the pea-sized pineal gland located deep in the brain is indeed the "Seat of the Soul," as the French philosopher Descartes proclaimed. Of course, Descartes also said, "I think, therefore I am," and thus created the comma spl...

April 1, 2009

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Favorable Outcome for Republic Windows Workers | WWC

Republic Windows and Doors

Most everyone is familiar with the saga of the workers at Republic Windows and Doors, who at holiday time in late 2008 were laid off with little notice. However, they refused to leave the premises and staged a sit-down until owner Richard Gillman, backed by a loan from Bank of America, paid them all monies owed from vacation and WARN Act 60 days' pay (WARN basically requires a company to give 6...

March 31, 2009

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AIG Bonus Controversy — Worker Perspective

AIG AIG bonuses bonuses

Yesterday, we learned that the IRS can conceivably tax even those who returned their bonuses to AIG using the tax law principle of constructive receipt. Today, there comes to light an e-mail sent this past Friday to AIG employees from someone with the screenname of "Bottom of AIG's Food Chain." It generally portrays/betrays the angst felt by AIG employees who had to take pay cuts while execs w...

March 31, 2009

52 view(s)

Recession, European-Style: More Paid Time Off

Europe recession socialism

I'm beginning to think this recession, depression, or whatever it is, is going to make Eurosocialists out of all of us, even me who was bred on free market capitalism (and often victimized by it too). There's a great discussion forum on the New York Times online blog that highlights the differences in approaches across the pond. The Germans seem to really have it made, social safety net-wise, ...

March 30, 2009

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Ouch, Now That Hurts: Returned Bonuses May Be Taxable!

AIG AIG bonuses IRS

A tax law doctrine known as "constructive receipt" could put those AIG employees who returned their bonuses in jeopardy of having to pay taxes on them anyway. Goes like this: Constructive receipt prevents people from gaming the system, say by performing work in late 2008 and asking to be paid in 2009 to reduce tax liability by shifting it forward. This is a no-no, but obviously it's pretty eas...

March 30, 2009

67 view(s)

None Dare Call These 'The Friendly Skies'

Spirit Air

Spirit Airlines will fly you for as little as $9 each way, provided you don't mind paying extra for choosing your own seat ($9-$20), checking in a piece of baggage ($100 for the third one), or drinking water while in the air (priceless). And if you work for Spirit at its Miramar, Fla., low-rent headquarters, you'll be expected to clean your own space, empty your own trash, and vacuum around yo...

March 27, 2009

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Not Quite the Pet Rock, But 'Layoff the Game' Fits the Times

Layoff the Game

Someone had to do it, so now we have an online game entitled Layoff to amuse ourselves with as we await our next unemployment insurance debit card refill (while applying online for nonexistent jobs). Not only do you get to lay people off (except for the bankers), but you can merge with other banks and even obtain a federal bailout. How soooo 2008-2009! I wonder if there's a cage for Hank Paul...

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Girish Anand

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Practical articles on HR, Safety, compliance, and people operations—written for real businesses, not legal textbooks.

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Articles by Girish Anand