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February 7, 2007

DOL Issues Guidance on Computer Employee Exemptions

The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued a field assistance bulletin and opinion letter addressing the circumstances under which employees performing computer services can be classified as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act's professional and administrative exemptions. The FLSA's computer-related exemptions traditionally have been among the most difficult for employers to apply.

In the field assistance bulletin, DOL stresses that computer employees can be exempt computer professionals if they fulfill the relevant duties test and are paid a salary of not less than $455 per week or an hourly rate of not less than $27.63. To meet the duties test, the employees' primary duty must consist of the application of systems techniques to determine hardware, software, or system specifications; the design, testing, or modification of computer systems relating to system design specifications or machine operating systems; or a combination of these tasks.

In its opinion letter, DOL opines that certain IT support specialists and help desk employees do not qualify for the administrative or computer professional exemptions. DOL notes that the job of IT support specialist, which requires a high school diploma, does not require the judgment and independent discretion to qualify for the administrative exemption. DOL also finds that the employees lack the development and analytical skills required by the computer professional exemption.

To read the field assistance bulletin and opinion letter, visit the DOL Web site, dol.gov.

Stephen Dwyer  www.americanstaffing.net

 

August 3, 2006

2006 Plano Chamber of Commerce Member

July 27, 2006

Weekly unemployment claims down 7,000
In the week ended July 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 298,000, a decrease of 7,000, or 2.3%, from the previous week's revised figure of 305,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The four-week moving average was 312,750, a decrease of 4,250, or 1.3%, from the previous week’s revised average of 317,000.

May 5, 2006

Final Note - On The Lighter Side

Hiring managers provided the following top ten examples of the most unusual excuses employees offered for arriving late to work:

  1. I dreamed that I was fired, so I didnt bother to get out of bed.
  2. I had to take my cat to the dentist.
  3. I went all the way to the office and realized I was still in my pajamas and had to go home to change.
  4. I saw that you werent in the office, so I went out looking for you.
  5. I couldnt find the right tie, so I had to wait for the stores to open so I could buy one.
  6. My son tried to flush our ferret down the toilet and I needed to tend to the ferret.
  7. I ran over a goat.
  8. I stopped for a bagel sandwich, the store was robbed and the police required everyone to stay for questioning.
  9. A bee flew in my car and attacked me and I had to pull over.
  10. I wet my pants and went home to change.

Source: Careerbuilder.com

 

April 10, 2006

Welcome to the C-Suite

Meet the newest member of the C-suite: the chief human resources officer. Once viewed as a back-office administrator who simply filled position openings, human resource professionals are fast becoming a key strategic component in today’s business world.

A new report from Deloitte Consulting LLP, “Strategist & Steward: The Evolving Role of the Chief Human Resources Officer,” states, “Today, the head of HR is increasingly required to act as both strategist and steward: a leader who not only orchestrates day-to-day HR operations, but also helps shape and implement overall strategy.” He or she collaborates directly with the chief executive officer and board of directors on a range of critical business issues.

This is a far cry from the days of simply “finding people,” and it’s good news for the staffing industry. As the responsibilities of human resource professionals continue to increase, so do the opportunities for staffing firms to partner with these professionals and demonstrate the wide range of services that staffing firms can offer.

In fact, some human resource executives may be entirely unfamiliar with the staffing industry. A recent article in Human Resource Executive highlights a trend toward hiring noncareer HR people for HR executive posts, opting for executives with strong backgrounds in business and strategic planning, rather than career HR people. The article cites the trend as “simply the latest response to the clarion call to make human resources more strategic.”

As the role of the HR executive becomes increasingly important, so will that of the executive’s strategic partner, the staffing firm.

Jennifer Butsch     American Staffing Association