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What Can Employers Do to Prevent Workplace Violence?

Workplace violence and homicides are ongoing threats for employers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 4,547 workplace injuries resulting in death in 2010, 506 were homicides. While there is no federal law that establishes an employer’s duty to prevent workplace violence against employees, companies must comply with the general duty clause of […]

A holiday gift from the NLRB to employees

by Lauren E.M. Russell This has been a year of radical decisions from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), nearly all of them favoring employees. With the appointment of a new General Counsel, the Board is poised to continue its current trend of invalidating long-accepted employer practices.  New General Counsel The NLRB recently announced that […]

Looking into the crystal ball of immigration reform

by Elaine Young In October, Democrats in the House of Representatives released H.R. 15, their comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) bill. The bill essentially mirrors S. 744, which the Senate passed earlier this year. Meanwhile, House Republicans proposed a series of bills that addresses components of immigration reform (e.g., border security and agricultural and highly skilled […]

Handling Suspected FMLA Fraud

“Intermittent leave and reduced schedule leaves are sometimes fertile grounds for deception and fraud.” Charlie Plumb told us in a recent BLR webinar. Intermittent leave is one of the toughest parts of the FMLA to administer and it can cause frustration for employers, employees, and their coworkers. This is never more so than when fraud […]

Agencies Would Broaden Exceptions to Required Benefits

Employee assistance programs and certain “limited wraparound coverage” would be added to the set of “limited excepted benefits” exempt from most of the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, under proposed rules in the Dec. 24 Federal Register (78 Fed. Reg. 77632). The proposal also would make it easier for dental and vision benefits to […]

5 Tips for Managing Intermittent FMLA Leave

Managing intermittent FMLA leave while minimizing fraud and abuse can be a challenge. But there are ways to try to make the process as smooth as possible. Follow these 5 tips: Confirm eligibility Restrict intermittent leave to only what the law allows and ensure it’s taken properly Use medical certifications Train supervisors to get it […]

What is a Succession Plan and Why Should You Have One?

Succession planning is an often-overlooked yet important aspect of talent management. What happens when a high-performing employee, or even an executive, leaves the company? Who moves into that role? What is lost during the transition when no one is in line to move immediately into place? This is the rationale for succession planning – to […]

8 Succession Planning Fundamentals

Succession planning allows companies to not only retain key talent, but also to have someone at the ready when a critical position becomes vacant. This helps ensure smooth transitions and minimal disruption to business, all while retaining more of your high performers. Each organization faces unique challenges in succession planning. There’s no universally-applicable succession planning […]

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s New Year ‘Tips’ for HR Managers

The act that gained her the most notoriety was her rule that all employees must report to work at the physical office—no more telecommuting. The move was met with disapproval in many quarters (although Donald Trump reportedly approved). Some called it a step backwards for flexibility in the workplace, especially for women, who often count […]

Technology’s Effect on Corporate Training

The training question is: “How is technology changing corporate training, and what do trainers need to keep in mind in light of that?” Here is how an expert responded: The primary way that technology is changing training is that “it’s disaggregating content,” says Karl Kapp (www.karlkapp.com), Assistant Director of Bloomsburg University’s Institute for Interactive Technologies, […]