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What Makes an Effective Leader?

In today’s Advisor, we’re going to look at what it means to be an effective leader. First, let’s define leadership—with the help of some historical figures. Leadership is: Guiding people to take appropriate initiative, General George Patton said, “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you […]

Mötley Crűe drummer rocked by employment lawsuit

by Boyd Byers I have a confession. In the 1980s, I rocked out to heavy metal music ― bands like Def Leppard, Guns N’ Roses, Judas Priest, and the Scorpions. But above them all was Mötley Crűe. Other bands talked the talk, but the Crűe ― proclaimed the world’s most notorious rock band ― walked […]

Overlooked, Ignored, or Feared—Mental Disabilities

One overlooked, ignored, and/or feared area of the ADA is dealing with employees who suffer from mental disabilities, say attorneys Julie K.Athey and Audra K. Hamilton. Because many mental disabilities are hard to spot, hard to diagnose, and hard to handle, employers may either give too much attention (fear, stigma, termination) or too little, pretending […]

There’s No ‘I’ in ‘Team’ — FLSA ‘Executive Exemption’ Doesn’t Require Independence

Do employees who oversee different teams within a company that perform the same job, in the same location and at the same time as other teams, fall into the category of an “executive” under the Fair Labor Standards Act? Recently several employees argued that their responsibilities were so standardized that they did not fall under […]

Customer Service Training Step #1: Don't Put the Customer First?

If you were a general fielding an army, you’d know that no matter how good your tactics, success in battle eventually will ride on the quality and morale of your troops. Business is the same, and especially that aspect of business in which your organization is most likely to run into “hostile forces.” That’s customer […]

Even the C-Suite Can Understand Why Wellness Works

The wellness agenda is surprisingly uncluttered, says Dr. W. Smith Chandler in California Employment Law Answers.  We can break it down, he says, by asking a simple question: “Why do people die?” The answer is not as complex as people think, Chandler maintains. He explains that 40 percent of all Americans die of cardiovascular diseases, […]

ISS Losing Influence on Say-on-Pay? Not So

During the 2011 proxy season, shareholders seemed to be less influenced by ISS on say on pay, says Fichthorn, vice president in the Philadelphia office of Hay Group. He was joined in his presentation at a recent BLR/HRhero webinar by Martin Somelofske, a senior principal in Hay Group’s Metro New York office. Only a handful […]

DOL Test for Classifying Interns as Unpaid

Unpaid internships can be mutually beneficial for students and employers: students receive invaluable workplace experience and employers benefit from the opportunity to begin training the next generation of talent. However, you must be aware of the distinction between paid and unpaid internships. Internships in the for-profit, private sector will most often be viewed as employment […]

Job Descriptions—One Common Mistake

Well-developed written job descriptions are essential to the hiring process, for two reasons, says attorney Susan Fahey Desmond: They assist you in clarifying what skills or traits you expect an applicant to meet They help you to defend yourself in court should you be sued over your hiring decision. We found details in BLR/HRhero’s HR […]

Critical HR Policies—What Are Best Practice Companies Doing?

For years, BLR® has surveyed HR and compensation/benefits professionals to find trends in policy and practice. We appreciate your participation in our series of brief, targeted surveys. Today’s survey topic: HR Policies. (We’ll publish the results in a future issue.) Please participate in this brief survey and we’ll determine what employers are doing with this […]