Three HR lessons to educate you in the middle of the week.
When you write five times a week like I do, you become grateful that other write great material that I can point out to you. Today is one of those days where I want to make you aware of some informative and thought=provoking lessons.
First up is Todd Lebowitz who warns us that even though there is a “new” Department of Labor, that has not made all the existing regulations go away. In DESPITE NEW DOL, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR MISCLASSIFICATION AND JOINT EMPLOYMENT REMAIN RISKY, Todd reminds us that the FLSA is very much still in force. You still have to classify people correctly. You still cannot call someone an independent contractor just because it is convenient to do so. You still have to pay people overtime. Yes, some Obama-era memos may have been withdrawn, but that has not changed the substance of the law. So read this and pay attention.
Second up is Wade Burgess, who helps us understand the Gig Economy better. In Mythbusting the Gig Economy Burgess debunks three myths associated with the gig economy. These include: the gig economy is only a refuge for the unemployed; the gig economy is not sophisticated enough for big companies; and, being a winner is all about having the most employees. Now, to be transparent, Burgess is the chief executive officer of Shiftgig, the leading mobile platform that connects businesses with reliable, high-quality workers on demand, so he has a vested interest in the gig economy. That, however, does not nullify the points he makes. It is a good, and short, read.
Third up is Tim Sackett. He makes a point about text messaging, which I talk about to every class I teach. He wonders why text messaging isn’t a more ubiquitous tool in the recruiting world. I wonder why it is not more ubiquitous in the world of HR. Read Tim’s argument for greater use of texting in recruiting in TEXT MESSAGING: ALMOST DEAD OR ALIVE AND KICKING?
That will do it for this hump day. I hope I have helped you learn a little bit today.
A hat tip to Jon Hyman for pointing these great posts out.
