Hunter Lott, 15431 E. Jojoba Lane, Fountain Hills, AZ (2026)

12/04/2023

When you have reviewed as many employee handbooks over the years as I have, you will end up sometimes just shaking your head.

"What is this person thinking?"

You see, sometimes language in a handbook is placed or added as a well intended measure, but it might end up actually having unintended or negative consequences.

For example, what does it say about your organization when your stated company policy is suspending employees for poor attendance? Why are you rewarding people for a behavior you don't want ... with the same behavior you don't want?

Watch my latest Take 5 With Hunter video to learn about the ways managers are doing stupid things that you need to avoid.

11/08/2023

Recent court cases have drawn attention to the area of wage theft and the ways employers, intentionally or not, can be accused of wage theft.

What I find most interesting is that these recent cases have been brought not through Departments of Labor but by Attorneys General. This means that the cases have PERSONAL legal liability, and do not allow offenders to hide behind corporate protection.

Wage theft occurs when an employer fails to provide the full compensation due to an employee, and when done willfully, extensively, or even corruptly, can lead to CRIMINAL charges.

The good news? I walk viewers through a simple check list on my Take 5 video that helps you identify if you might be legally liable for wage theft issues right now.

Watch the Take 5 video now to take my wage theft mini-audit and see if you are in compliance!

10/31/2023

As the economy gets tougher, it might be time to rethink the "common wisdom" that reductions in force might be the right approach to handling the environment.

Talent managers should instead look at ways to increase productivity and help do more with less or at least more with what you've got.

Just one example: The 4-day work week.

In my latest Take 5 video I share one company's results from their experiment with a shorter workweek as a strategy for increased productivity. Based on what happened, the company has no longer any plans to return to the old schedule based on what they saw from their test.

10/23/2023

In case you were not aware, the FTC is considering a proposal to eliminate the Non-Compete Rule, and I wanted to give you my thoughts on this week's Take 5 video.

The solution for organizations is fairly simple (should this rule go through); a non-solicitation of client provision and a non-disclosure agreement.

Where you want to be careful though, is the idea of solicitating employees both to and from your organization.

The best solution? I give you the strategy in my latest Take 5 Video!

10/03/2023

"I get some of my best info from exit interviews. Why would I not do them anymore?"

It's a sentiment I hear too often unfortunately, but it's one that comes from managers who are missing the bigger picture.

When an employee only feels comfortable telling an organization about how they truly feel when they are leaving and know their answers can hurt their standing in the company ...
.. what kind of company are you running?

I've spoken about the idea of Stay Interviews before, and in this Take 5 video, I also cover six questions management can ask during such an interview.

The bottom line is that you should not wait until the exit interview to have an "honest conversation"!

Watch the video to learn the 6 questions you should be asking instead of having an exit interview.

09/26/2023

As an attorney once told me "Freedom of Speech addresses an individual's right to speech with the government. It is NOT about their right to speech with an employer."

There are many complexities to this fact the further you dive into the matter, and given recent legislative updates, I wanted to walk viewers through a number of scenarios that they need to consider.

Watch my Take 5 video to learn the right way to handle your employee's Freedom of Speech in the workplace.

09/18/2023

One of the bedrock American freedoms is that of free speech, and it is something that we all hold as incredibly important.

As we get closer to election season though, or have to deal with current hot-button political or religious events as they relate to our respective organizations, we need to understand the idea of a captive audience as employers and employees.

New laws have recently been signed that make it unlawful to take adverse action or retaliate against employees who refuse to attend meetings, or listen to communications, where the primary purpose is to communicate the employer's religious or political views.

You have the right to appropriately communicate the beliefs or stance of your organization, but whether or not you have recourse to employees who don't care to listen to them is still being decided in the courts.

So what can you do?

Watch my Take 5 video to learn more about what a captive audience is and how definitions of free speech for employers may affect you as a talent manager.

09/13/2023

Are you aware that the Department of Labor recently proposed important changes to the minimum salary threshold for exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)?

As I have said before, you are most likely to get sued over a wage and hour issue in the next 12 months more than anything else. Most often these actions stem from business owners or managers not understanding the law, and these proposed changes could make that situation even more likely.

In fact, it's possible that you might have to address this situation before the end of the new year or in as little as 60 days.

So what can you do? Watch my latest Take 5 video for a quick update.

I've also included a checklist to help you quickly determine how compliant your business may already be.

08/29/2023

When you have reviewed and updated as many employee handbooks as I have you are bound to see some crazy things. This includes downright doomed attempts at managing human behavior.

In my many years of being an HR Problem Solver on Demand probably the biggest fail I see consistently is the attempt by management to outlaw or forbid office romances.

You will never succeed in banning workplace romance.

That's because you're fighting human nature - there has been workplace romance since workplaces and romances.

So what should you do do instead of trying to fight an uphill battle that leaves you open for headaches and legal liability?

Watch my latest Take 5 With Hunter video to learn how you can create an acceptable office romance policy that keeps your team happy and you out of the baby sitting business.

08/29/2023

n this week's Take 5 video, I wanted to talk about the thing you are most likely to get sued for in the next year.

Wage and hour issues are one of the most common things I help with. It's a tricky issue that usually comes down to educating an organization about the appropriate laws.

In my video I cover some of the most common traps managers fall into, including:

Pay transparency laws;
Salary history questions;
Discussing salaries at work;
Misclassification;
Discretionary versus non-discretionary;
Holiday pay waiting period;
Wage theft, and more!

Watch my latest Take 5 With Hunter video to learn which wage and hour traps you need to avoid.

08/29/2023

As a speaker I travel regularly and speak to a number of different businesses and organizations representing various industries.

One of the most frustrating situations I see though is this idea of not firing an employee so that the organization doesn't have to pay or deal with unemployment.

What?

As crazy as it sounds, some managers are more than willing to let a toxic work environment continue or get worse all so they can avoid having to pay unemployment.

It reminds me of that saying "Penny-wise and a pound foolish."

When considering how you are going to handle a termination and any possible unemployment, you need to know that these situations are more than just dollars and cents.

Watch my latest Take 5 With Hunter video to learn what to consider when it comes to handling unemployment situations.

08/29/2023

I speak to a large number of organizations and people each year, and it always amazes me as to how much talent managers operate under false information.

For this week's Take 5 video I set my sights on the top 5 management myths as I see them, including;

Loyalty
Consistency
Probationary Periods
Never Re-Hire, and
Command and Control

If you don't understand the right ways to approach these areas, you run the risk of setting yourself up for potential legal action and mass exodus of A players!

The good news is that when you watch this week's video, I outline the 7 steps you need to take to eliminate the management myths so you can protect yourself accordingly!

Watch my latest Take 5 With Hunter video to learn about the top 5 management myths as well as what you need to do to overcome them.

Hunter Lott

12/04/2023

11/08/2023

10/31/2023

10/23/2023

10/03/2023

09/26/2023

09/18/2023

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