Many years ago, I started with my first job in HR. I was young and eager and not completely knowledgeable on work place gender issues and I made the mistake of referring to someone as a "girl." After my co-worker stopped gagging, she drew out a chart for me that I will never forget:
Boys + Girls = Children
Guys + Gals (Dolls actually) = Broadway show
Ladies + Gentlemen = Introduction to a large audience
Men + Women = Adults in the workplace
She said that you would never refer to adult men in the workplace as boys, so don't refer to adult women as girls.
What reminded me of this chart? Did you watch the Women's World Cup championships? I did. It was pretty exciting. When the game ended, I saw a lot of "girl power" remarks on Facebook and the web, and references to the members of the team as "girls" and it reminded me of the talk I received all those years ago.
Happy Summer!
New Proposed Overtime Rules
The Department of Labor has proposed to update the regulations governing which executive, administrative, and professional employees (white collar workers) are entitled to the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage and overtime pay protections.
The current salary threshold for exemption is $455 per week ($23,660 per year). According to the Department of Labor, the proposed rule will ensure that the FLSA's intended overtime protections are fully implemented, and will simplify the identification of nonexempt employees.
June 25th : The Supreme Court voted to keep the Affordable Care Act intact. In short, the decision means that the employer mandate along with penalties for groups over 50 will remain as is. June 26th : The Supreme Court prohibited all states from banning same sex marriage. For employers, the decision means that the definition of spouse along with benefits and rights associated with marriage must be implemented consistently, regardless of sex of each spouse.
