The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed that, under California law, McDonald's is not a joint employer with its franchisee and cannot be held liable for wage and hour violations committed by the franchisee. The ruling comes as the US Department of Labor proposes a four-factor test for determining joint-employer liability.

Generational differences and a tight job market offer challenges for recruitment, writes Michael Begg, co-founder of AMZ Advisers. However, there are things that can be done to improve the odds, such as increasing wages, using social media for outreach and public relations, and reconsidering minimum-experience requirements, he suggests.

Google leads the list of top-rated large companies for wages and benefits, according to a survey from Comparably. Eighty-two percent of workers at the large organizations that made Comparably's list say they are compensated fairly for their work.

Use artificial intelligence to help employees safely report sensitive incidents, such as sexual harassment, writes Mahi de Silva, CEO of Amplify.ai. The technology makes training and educational resources accessible at any time and enables employees to file complaints and schedule appointments with HR.

The latest Global Fraud and Risk Report from Kroll says that an internal audit is best for discovering employee fraud and information leakage, but that a whistleblower has similar efficiency for uncovering corruption and bribery. A survey related to the report finds data theft is the No. 1 security risk for 73% of US executives.