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6 Labor Laws Your Employer May Be Breaking

There are many employees who firmly believe that their employers have a strong influence on labor laws. But truth be told, there are many companies who violate wage and labor laws regularly. Ultimately, it is your duty to ensure that your rights are being respected. As shocking as it may sound but there are some businesses who deliberately withhold the earned wages just to save a buck or they might do it because of real prejudice. However, there are also some businesses that unintentionally violate the rights of their workers. But at the end of the day, unintentional or not, breaking the law is breaking the law and some kind of action should be taken against such companies to stop them from their unjust behavior.

6 Labor Laws Your Employer May Be Breaking

In some cases, labor law violations have become so common that they have gone from becoming infractions to permanent practice. Therefore, it’s better that you do your research regarding the company before you accept the job offer. There are also some recruitment agencies like cybersecurity consulting that takes this issue really seriously and recommends workers to only those organizations that have a good reputation. Let’s now look at the six labor laws that your employer may be breaking.

#1. Reluctant to Offer You Minimum Wage

There are some organizations that hesitate to pay their employees even the minimum wage. You should know that the minimum wage in the United States at the time of this writing is $7.25/hr. This figure might be higher in different states. Wage violations usually occur among those workers who are tipped. According to labor standards, employees who are able to make approximately $30/month in tips are eligible for a minimum cash wage of $2.13/hr. Also, remember that an employer cannot deduct more than $5.12 from an employee’s hourly wage if the individual is tipped often.

#2. Treating Independent Contractors Like Employees

Another violation that is quite common is employee misclassification. But what does it mean? Well, in the last few years, businesses have started to recruit independent contractors more frequently. However, they treat them like employees. They won’t let them work according to their own preference. Moreover, they will not pay them for any overtime work. Also, the companies will not offer any kind of benefits to them as well. The thing is that if the organization is treating you like an employee, then they should also provide you with all the benefits. And if they are not doing that then your rights are not being respected.

#3. Not Being Paid for Work Breaks

You may not know this but employees are entitled to work breaks. If your boss wants to work during a scheduled break then you should also be compensated for that. Unfortunately, not many companies pay employees for a break. In addition, you may be a bit surprised to know that shorter breaks that you take during your working hours are also compensable.

#4. Deducting Some Amount from Your Wage Illegally

Wage deductions are legal and some might surprise you. In some states, employers can deduct your wage in order to pay for the property damaged in the workplace, or for buying tools. However, keep in mind that these deductions can never lead you to a payout lower than the minimum wage. If that happens then this will be an illegal act and you would have all the rights to talk to your manager about it. Also, it is best if an employer lets you know about the wage deduction beforehand.

#5. Having Inaccurate Records

It is essential for a business to keep accurate records. After all, it helps in making investigations on different matters a lot easier. Moreover, it aids in maintaining a legally compliant business. Employers are responsible for keeping the right records of their employees that should highlight certain information such as wages paid. If there is going to be a change in the salary, then employers must inform their workers about it. They should also give you a week’s notice before making any changes to your pay.

#6. Preventing Employees from Sharing Particular Information

Employees need information in order to advocate for their best interests. This means that should have open communications about pay inequities and wages in the workplace. Employers shouldn’t prevent employees from sharing information related to salaries. There are some companies who discourage their workers to disclose such information but times are now changing and you can share your pay rates with fellow employees if you want to.

Conclusion

Minding the labor laws is important if one wants to have a workplace filled with satisfied employees. Yet, there are some employers who don’t pay heed to this. However, now that you know about these laws, you can always have a conversation with your employer if you think your rights are being compromised.

How To Say Thank You In The Most Adorable Way?

Eliciting our emotions in the best possible way remains a puzzle for many of us. Call it awkwardness, shyness, anxiety, fear, etc. – but all of this hinders people from seeing your true emotions, especially when it comes to thanking others.

How to say thank you to someone special seems like a huge task for some and others might not eve where to start from. If you are one of them then today is your day to learn how to say thank you in the easiest yet adorable way.

Are your ready to become a pro in saying thank you?

Let’s dive in!

1.       Cards

Cards are the evergreen way to say thank you. If you are bad at expressing your feelings of gratitude to someone verbally then pen down a few lines of thank you in a beautiful customized card and then just hand it over to them! I’m sure you’ll witness a smile on their face when you hand them over this thank you card.

2.       Hugs

Sometimes, you really don’t need to say or write anything – you need to show your feelings by actions. And no other action than a warm hug would excel at expressing feelings of gratitude. Hugs are the baby steps amidst learning how to say thank you and sorry as well!

3.       Flowers & Chocolates

Everyone adores these two beautiful things and thus if you wish to offer something to someone in order to say thank you then flowers and chocolates are the safest and all time preferred options to ponder.

4.       Book Tickets

Booking tickets is an intriguing and surprising option to say thank you. You could book tickets that person’s favorite movie, drama, concert, etc. and then offer the ticket directly to them. Maybe both of you could go together too!

5.       Letters

Letters are an old yet highly effective to learn to how to say thank you. Just pour in all your honest feelings of gratitude and love into this one piece of paper and send it to the person. This is much better than a usual text or social media message.

6.       Help In Return

If you wish to really impress the person you want to say thank you to then helping them is the best way to do that. You could help them in their daily work, to clean the house, to make breakfast, to drop them by your car for work, etc. Find the most optimum way that suits both of you.

7.       Favorite Food

If the person you wish to show your gratitude is a foodie then offering them their favorite dish is the best way to say them thank you. Either you yourself could cook something delicious or simply order from their favorite restaurant!

Okay so that was it from my basket of ideas and I really anticipate that they might have suggested you how to say thank you in the easiest way. Also, the last pro tip is that whichever method you utilize to say thank you to someone, just let it come from your heart. Let your feelings get reflected in your eyes and words; that’s what makes a thank you really special!

All the best!

 

 

A Detailed View of Today’s Workplace Learning Team Structure

In the current business scenario, workplace learning teams must be made up of the right people armed with the correct information. The roles of the concerned teams are shifting in tandem with the evolution of learning and development. To take on these increased duties, leaders must have the necessary skills and competencies. To comprehend how modern L&D teams should be constituted, you must first gauge what employers seek in new workers. Additionally, you must try to understand what the L&D function means to experts. While some L&D specialists want their employees to be familiar with the organization and the environment, others wish their team has an innate drive to learn. Digital proficiency, on the other hand, is a must-have. Let’s now explore these points in further detail.

What Does the Learning Team Structure Look Like in a Contemporary Organisation?

If you consider the L&D job market, one aspect is crystal clear. Most recruiters are searching for the correct mentality and soft skills in their candidates. Some of these qualities include proactivity and innovation. On the other hand, L&D professionals should not hesitate in giving quantitative numbers to their influence and contribution. In the hard skills domain, the most critical elements are project management and analytics. Hiring requirements include several aspects. And L&D professionals must both be pros in playing a leading role in coming up with initiatives and reporting on their progress using data-driven analysis. Moreover, several companies opt to recruit people with an HR background for their L&D function.

The Evolving L&D Structure and Changing Expectations

Previously, it was widely assumed that content developers and program administrators alone should make up corporate learning teams. However, they are now architects of a learning ecosystem. The L&D teams play a vital role in workforce development to keep the ecosystem going. The result? They must always be ready to become change drivers. They must also be proactive in putting in a lot of effort regarding accountability and responsibility. Traditional L&D competencies have been transformed because of these changes in the role. Hence, workplaces should pay close attention to the skilling of their L&D team structures.

A Successful Workplace Learning Team’s Three Pillars

In L&D teams, one of the critical aspects is to have a diverse set of profiles. Now, what’s the ideal recipe for a successful learning and development department? A mix of professionals possessing skills in data analysis or UX development. We should also have individuals with a keen understanding of psychology and behavior. Finally, we must include people from the business itself.

Business Profiles

Individuals with expertise in business and customer service possess a sound understanding of the needs of the company. They are in a better position to convert their knowledge into L&D policies more efficiently and have a clear idea of communicating with leaders, deciphering technical jargon, and understanding the organizational culture.

Data Analysts and Software Developers 

The profiles mentioned above enable you to reap the multiple benefits of data analysis. You can take the help of the right analytics to aid in ensuring the accountability of the organization’s workplace learning team. How? Number crunching and analysis are used to assess the effectiveness and impact of training programs. User Experience, aka UE, and user-friendly platforms are other segments where UX and software engineers come in handy. As a result, they can now develop new ideas and approaches to improve the learner’s experience (LX). “An L&D function with outstanding standards on EX (employee experience) is scarce on the market, even if it is an essential component of its impacts,” says David Hindley, former HRD for Danone and Disney. It is pretty necessary.

Psychologists

Profiles of psychologists or those with a social science background thoroughly understand human behavior and learning processes personally. Such experts can swiftly assess what triggers can be used to accelerate people’s learning curves and knowledge acquisition. To better understand the organization’s culture, mindset, and behaviors, you can provide them with coaching sessions and assist them with learning frameworks and co-development processes. Psychologists also guarantee that the content created by their L&D team is pedagogically sound and reliable. They are the ones who will support people’s development and help bridge the gaps in a workplace learning team framework.

An Exploration of the New Roles in a Workplace Learning Team

Aside from the changing responsibilities in today’s environment, L&D competencies will also alter shortly. Companies are currently focusing on an employee’s experience in a learning setting, for example. They do, however, seek employees with a UX development background. This combination could lead to the formation of the following profile:

Employee Learning Experience Designer

These experts turn the knowledge that needs to be learned into better learning experiences. They are well-versed in the many learning methods and platforms (digital and offline) that may be used to optimize learning, and they have even designed some of them.

Data Analyst + Performance Consultant

This position will have a significant impact on the L&D department. Dual abilities are required for such a profile. The first is to examine data from business intelligence and learning and development. The figures should then be combined to report the effects of the workplace learning team’s activities on business executives.

In short, the builders of a system that encourages the learning attitude make up the modern workplace learning team structure. So, what does this mean? The management must become involved to ensure the long-term viability of the structure. Keeping this in mind that the Community Engagement Manager’s role will ensure that L&D teams take responsibility for ensuring the learning community’s long-term viability. Second, content, communications, and fresh learning experiences must be updated regularly,so the employees remain interested.

Rounding it Up

The new L&D organizational structure does not imply that established responsibilities will be eliminated. However, it indicates that in-demand skill sets will change. Organizations should commit to creating and acquiring the L&D attitude, as mentioned above, to meet these evolutionary needs. In a nutshell, the primary aspects of a successful L&D team will include expertise in organizational growth, change management, systemic thinking, and digital upskilling. Do you want to learn more? At PlayAblo, you can speak with one of our professionals. We’re only a phone call away!