Employers, has this ever happened to you?

A guy (we'll call him "Ryan") comes to work for you through a temporary agency. The agency issues the paychecks and generally acts as Ryan's "HR" representative. Your company pays the agency but does not directly pay Ryan.

But when Ryan comes to work, he is supervised by Michael, who is one of your employees. Michael takes Ryan under his ...

Labor relations go back to the future. Mel Haas and John Weltin of our Macon Office have the rundown on the recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board in Miller & Anderson, Inc. In that case, the Board found that an appropriate bargaining unit can include a mix of contingent workers who are jointly employed by a staffing agency and the primary employer, and the primary ...

Maybe it's just me, but workplace harassment issues seem to come in waves -- I'll go months, or even a year, without an issue, and then WHAM! everybody has a "situation," or at least they need to get their preventive training done.

Right now, we're in a bit of a "flash flood," so I thought it might be a good time to review the basics, with some updates.

WHAT ARE THE FIVE HARASSMENT ...

Two weeks ago, I wrote about whether harassment training should be offered to employees in "the Twilight Zone" -- mainly, lead persons and contingent workers (temporaries and independent contractors). Reader Paul C. suggested that I do a post on the dangers associated with keeping "temps" too long, which I thought was a great idea. So, Paul, thank you!

In our insecure economy, temps and ...

Who should get harassment training, and why?

Executive Team? Of course. These are the leaders. If they don't set an example, then the company is in trouble. And it's hard for them to set an example if they don't know a little bit about workplace harassment and their responsibilities.

Managers? Of course.

HR? What, are you kidding?

Front line supervisors? Absolutely. These folks are the

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! I know we have plenty to be miserable concerned about, but that is not my role today. Here, in no particular order, are five labor-and-employment-related things for which I am thankful. (Crabbiness returns next week.)

"Please, sir, may I have some more gruel? Amazing how tasty it is when you're starving!"

1. OK, I am completely serious now. You, my clients, and ...