The senator proposed a federal overtime rule mandate, but incentives can better spur employers to reshape the workweek

Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator, recently proposed new legislation that would change federal overtime rules. The new law, if passed, would require employers to pay a minimum 1.5 hours of overtime for each hour worked past 32 hours in a week. Currently, overtime kicks in at 40 hours per week. The requirement would phase in over a few years.

Sounds great. Who wouldn’t want that? There’s just one problem: somebody has to pay for it. For business owners, this isn’t an ideological argument. It’s math.

This type of training is needed now more than ever, as the American workplace gets more and more diverse

As a certified public accountant, I’m required to earn at least 80 hours every two years of continuing professional education credits. Many other professions and trades, including lawyers, healthcare professionals, engineers, electricians, plumbers and certain contractors, have similar requirements. It’s a good idea.

These professional requirements often also include ethics training. That’s a good idea too. But just getting a refresher on ethics isn’t enough. Something else is needed – something that’s even more important: etiquette.