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Student Loan Debt Repayment Options

The Employer Participation in Repayment Act (H.R. 1043), which is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 100 House members and a companion bill (S. 460) was reintroduced in the Senate with 18 cosponsors. The legislation would allow employers to give tax-free student loan assistance up to $5,250 a year per employee, the same amount that … more »

Proposed Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Overtime Rule

On March 7, 2019, the Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for an updated overtime rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). If the proposed overtime rule goes into effect, over one million workers who are not currently eligible for overtime pay may be eligible. … more »

Internship Guidelines

It is that time of year when employers are contemplating utilizing interns during the summer months. Employers must ask themselves the question as to whether interns should be paid a minimum wage and overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), or not? Employers who intend to engage with interns should ask themselves … more »

Factors to Consider before Transitioning to an Electronic Personnel Records Management System

The never-ending responsibility of ensuring compliant personnel records may be one of the most tedious yet critical responsibilities for an employer. There are many federal, state, and local laws and regulations that address personnel records management and employers may face penalties and/or criminal liabilities when records are not kept in compliance. Since the onset of … more »

Nepotism in the Workplace: An Organizational Advantage or an Impediment to a Healthy Workplace Culture

Most employees have heard of the term, “Nepotism” but unless they have worked in an organization where it created a problem, they may not comprehend the significance of having an organizational policy for it. Nepotism refers to giving deserved or undeserved benefits such as a job or a promotion to a friend or relative, instead … more »

Creating a Personal Appearance in the Workplace Policy

Most employers intend to uphold an image the represents their organization in a positive way. Employees’ personal appearance while they are representing the organization may have a direct impact not only on the image of the organization, but also the success of the organization. Personal appearance in the workplace standards vary from uniforms to suits … more »

What Not to Ask of an Applicant or Candidate During the Hiring Process

As the economy improves and employers learn that they are not able to do more with fewer employees and/or high performers are leaving to go to what they perceive as a better job, the hiring process begins. As such, hiring managers need to be aware of what they may or may not ask of an … more »

Small Business Hiring Best Practices

Many small business owners and executives will attest to the fact that hiring poor performing employees has a much greater impact within a small business than it does on a larger organization with a greater number of employees. For instance, if a small business has ten employees and one of them is underperforming, that’s 10% … more »

Employer Considerations for Unexpected Workplace Closures Due to Inclement Weather

In bygone days, many workplaces held a policy, whether clearly articulated or unspoken, that business operations must never shut down. However, in recent years, as employer obligations toward employees have grown, and employee-friendly workplaces have become more popular, employers have begun to re-think their “always open” policies during inclement weather. Of course, when a blizzard … more »

Understanding the Unemployment Claims Process in Indiana

Unemployment compensation is a benefit that provides short-term assistance to individuals who are eligible according to state laws. To an unemployed person, unemployment insurance benefits may be a lifeline to survive in the midst of an uncertain period of time in his or her life. However, the term “unemployment” often evokes a sense of unease … more »

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New Focus HR is a human resources consulting and training company that services all organizations. Our expert team collaborates with businesses to attract, motivate, retrain and retain their biggest assets, employees. While engaged with an organization, our focus is to find solutions that improve the company’s internal HR-related practices while increasing results at the same time! Our focus. Your results.

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