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What Do These Protesters Augur for Jobs and Benefits?

Last week I caught wind that some protesters were causing a street closure at the corner of 16th and I Streets, N.W., in Washington, D.C., a block from the White House and, as luck would have it, a block — in the other direction — from the editorial offices of Thompson Publishing Group. I grabbed […]

Special from BLR’s Advanced Employment Issues Symposium

Aggressive NLRB Has Surprises in Store for HR Unions are desperate, says attorney Kevin McCormick, because their numbers are down and many of the things they once promised workers (like safer workplaces) are now mandated by government agencies. The result? They’re getting aggressive in new ways. McCormick, a partner at Whiteford, Taylor, and Preston LLP […]

The Dark, Ugly Side of Using Unpaid Interns (under the FLSA)

Unless they protect themselves, employers using unpaid interns risk running afoul of the Fair Labor Standards Act and state labor laws. Indie movie spinoff Fox Searchlight (a division of Twentieth Century Fox) has been slapped with a lawsuit by two interns who worked on the set of the award-winning film, Black Swan. In Eric Glatt […]

What Employers Should Expect from a Ramped-Up EEOC

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is trying to buck a trend. While government budget cuts have become the norm, the EEOC is requesting for fiscal year 2012 an $18 million increase from 2011. The agency says it needs more money to restore enforcement and legal staff positions, modernize technology, and expand training, among other […]

Dealing with ‘I-Deals’—Managers’ Special Arrangements with Individual Employees

I-deals are idiosyncratic “deals” that managers make with individual employees. They’re hard to stop, but it’s worth trying, says Greene, who is CEO of Reward $ystems Inc., in Glenview IL. Greene’s remarks came at the recent 2011 World at Work Conference in San Diego. Idiosyncratic “Deals” With Individuals/Groups Competitive talent markets increase the pressure to […]

Espionage in an Employee Handbook?

Yesterday, we went back in time and looked at some interesting policies from Walt Disney’s 1943 employee handbook. Today, a few more — as well as a foolproof way to ensure your handbook is always current and complete.

Are your retirement plan’s fees excessive? Failed participant suits may inform plan sponsors

Federal courts on numerous occasions in the last two years have dismissed plan participant allegations that their employers charged excessive retirement plan fees. The rulings taken together say: If a plan is not enriching itself at participants’ expense — or operating with a conflict of interest in relation to its investment company — then it’s […]

Big Bang Promotions, Execution, and Carve-Outs

In yesterday’s Advisor, consultantsMyrna Hellerman CCP and Jim Kochanski  discussed how Big Bang companies broke out of sameness; today, their take on carve-outs and promotions, plus an introduction to a unique 10-minutes-at-a-time training system for your managers and supervisors. Hellerman and Kochanski, who are Sr. Vice Presidents at Sibson Consulting, offered their tips at WorldatWork’s […]

Steve Jobs: An Irreplaceable Leader

Much has been written about Apple founder Steve Jobs since he died last week. The adjectives describing him have been numerous. This Silicon Valley icon has been described as an innovator, a visionary, inspirational, and the best entrepreneur ever. But Mr. Jobs’ death has also raised questions about the future of the company he cofounded […]

Three Years After Amendment, It’s Still a New Day for the ADA

The law that amended the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed in September 2008, and although more than three years would seem sufficient to digest the change a new law brings, the regulations for the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) weren’t effective until May 24, 2011. So HR professionals and attorneys alike in many cases […]