Listen to Larry

Meet Larry Elinskas: Prior to starting his own consulting practice in June of 1998, Larry enjoyed nearly 30 years experience as a human resources practitioner in a variety of industries. Since starting Elin Associates, Inc., he has assisted small and medium sized companies in the areas of recruitment, compensation and benefits, and the implementation of programs designed to minimize the risk of formal complaints and lawsuits. He has also been a frequent seminar speaker on a variety of human resources subjects.

Larry’s most recent “inside” experience was as Director-Human Resources at a privately held pharmaceutical, manufacturing company located in northern New Jersey. Prior to this experience, he spent 25 years in the electronics and computer industries working in both defense and commercial environments. Throughout this period, he was directly involved in the recruitment of executives, managers and professionals in all functional areas. Additionally, he was active in the areas of career development, equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, employee assistance, complaint investigation and resolution, and diversity.

Larry knows that to meet a company’s human resources needs, the path to success is achieved by a thorough understanding of the client’s requirements and culture and by providing flexible solutions to meet those requirements.

Larry received graduate and undergraduate degrees from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut and is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Things to Do and Watch for in 2012

OSHA 300A Summary of Work Related Injuries and Illnesses

All employers covered by OSHA Part 1904 must complete this Summary page, even if no work-related injuries or illnesses occurred during the year. Use your OSHA 300 Log to count the number of entries in each category. If there were none for a particular category, enter “0”. The Summary must be posted from February 1 to April 30.

NLRB Postpones Deadline for Displaying Employee Rights Poster

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has postponed from November 14, 2011 to January 31, 2012 the implementation date for displaying their new poster (Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act).

NLRB Issues Final Rule for Notification of Employee Rights

On August 30, 2011, the National Relations Board (NLRB) issued a final rule requiring employers subject to the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to post a notice in their workplace informing employees of their rights under federal labor law. This notice must be posted by November 14, 2011.

What employers are subject to the National Labor Relations Act?
The rule applies to all employers subject to the Board’s jurisdiction, except agricultural, railroad and airline employers, and the U. S. Postal Service.

Progressive Disciplinary Action

The purpose of progressive disciplinary action is to improve employee performance. Progressive disciplinary action should not be confused with an immediate call for action for a serious violation of company rules, an illegal act, or other egregious behavior.

Even though the process is not intended as a punishment for an employee, it does afford the opportunity for the company to fairly, and with substantial documentation, terminate the employee who is unwilling or ineffective in improving his/her performance.

OSHA Form 300a Posting and OSHA 300 Records

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has been one of the beneficiaries of the federal government’s increased budget. As such, they have added additional personnel to conduct investigations. If an inspector visits you, one of the first areas they look at is your safety and health records. Failing to record, or improperly recording work-related injuries and illnesses can result in significant fines.

Employee Handbooks: A Must in Today's Work Environment

It might seem like old hat, but having a current employee handbook is more important today than it was years ago. In today’s work environment, employees are more apt to turn to an outside source for advice on how to handle a situation or an issue that did or does not please them in their workplace. Your best protection may be a properly written employee handbook.

Watch Out for Employee Misclassifications!

You can hardly pick up a professional journal these days without seeing something relating to a company being investigated because of employee “misclassification.” What exactly does that mean, and what are the consequences?

Cough, Cough… “I think I’m Getting Sick!”

Summer is gone and the change of weather is readily apparent. With the change of weather comes employee coughs, sneezes, sinus infections and the like. Might be a good time to remind employees about your call in procedures relative to calling in sick. Most employers do have a procedure indicating who to call and how long to call in before the scheduled start time. Usually these procedures indicate to call in each day of illness with a potential return to work date.

Social Media in the Workplace

It’s hard to pick up any communications media piece these days that does not contain some reference to online social networking. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, for example, have become household words. Social media use has exploded, and it’s here to stay. So, what happens when these media are brought into the workplace?

When an Employee Resigns…

The resignation of an employee can be a stressful and complicated experience. How should the process work? What are your legal responsibilities? Here are some of the common questions we get on this topic: