Do you pay an employee for taking a training course?  Does it matter if the training course is mandatory or voluntary?  What about paying the employee for travel time to and from the employee’s home and the employee’s office?

Knowing the answers to these questions can mean the difference between being in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and violating the Act. 

The Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) was passed in 1938 and has since been amended several times.  The Act governs minimum wage, overtime pay, equal pay for men and women in similar jobs, child labor and pay-related recordkeeping.  The Act covers all employees engaged in interstate commerce, which are basically all employees. 

How would you describe your management style?  Do you think the employees who report to you would describe your management style as you do?  How would your customers and peers view your management style? 

Your management style impacts how others interact with you, how you resolve conflict, how you motivate and reward employees and how you manage change.  There are various categories of management styles, including but not limited to the following:

Have you ever had a day when two employees came into your office complaining about a coworker?  Or a day when a customer complained about the service they received?  Have you ever received an email that carried a certain “tone” of frustration?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, do you know where the source of the conflict came from?

Conflict arises for a variety of reasons, including:

Incomplete Information
When information is not fully shared with people who have a need-to-know, conflict can arise.  A sense of secrecy or territorialism can develop creating an “us” versus “them” approach to working.

Change is inevitable, especially in the workplace.  Companies are merging, filing for bankruptcy and decreasing staff.  With these changes, come varying emotions and reactions from employees.  These emotions and reactions can range from positive to negative and everything in-between.

As a manager, there are a number of actions that can be taken to prepare employees for change.  Below are seven of those actions.

First, prepare the employees for change by explaining the reason for the change.  Provide them with specific and up-to-date information whenever possible and let them know what is happening ahead of time so as to minimize the risk of rumors.  Meet with your employees on a regular basis to provide updates, answer and questions and provide ongoing support.

As an employer, do you know who is covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act?  Is everyone who performs work for your company an “employee” under the Act?
The Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) was passed in 1938 and has since been amended several times.  The Act governs minimum wage, overtime pay, equal pay for men and women in similar jobs, child labor and pay-related recordkeeping.  The Act covers all employees engaged in interstate commerce, which are basically all employees.