Archives

In Today’s Economy, Is Wellness Doable?

Budgets are stretched tighter than drumheads—is there still a way to work in a wellness program? National Employee Health and Fitness Day is next Wednesday, and that makes this a great time to focus on wellness objectives. Readers of the Advisor are well aware that wellness programs work and can produce strong returns on investment […]

Weathering the Economic Storm in Canada: Restructuring and Employees’ Rights

By Leanne Fioravanti and Stephen Acker In these tough financial times, a number of companies are trying to reorganize themselves in order to avoid insolvency or bankruptcy. In Canada, there are several laws that help facilitate this process: the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA). For the most part, […]

New FMLA: Tricky Questions Answered

Surveys consistently show that managing Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) issues is one of the most time-consuming—and annoying—areas HR professionals tackle. BLR’s experts at Compensation.BLR.comshare answers to some of the trickier questions they get. Q. The law defines a health condition as serious if the employee is treated by a healthcare provider for more […]

Truth or Consequences: Not So Much

Help me out here. Less than 48 hours ago, I wrote about the need for CEOs to earn back the trust of their employees and gave a few suggestions about how they might do that. This morning I turn on the television to find none other than Elliot Spitzer providing commentary on the current state […]

Healthcare Savings? Try Absence Management

Ah, healthcare costs. If you’ve changed carriers, deductibles, and co-payments more times than you care to remember, you may be discouraged. Take heart, says Jill Madison, there’s a better place to look for savings. Madison is managing director of Consulting Services at Craford Benefit Consultants. Her comments appeared in a white paper on BLR’s all-things-compensation […]

Attacking Motherhood and Apple Pie: Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace

by Al Vreeland What could be more noxious to the American soul than an assault on motherhood? We all have a mother (though some might question the genetic origin of lawyers). Many of us return to her apron strings when we need reassurance that we haven’t become fat and stupid (or at least completely so). […]

Increased Enforcement of Labor Laws a Top Priority for Obama Administration

One of the clearest indications of an administration’s priorities is the budget and the amount of funding provided to various programs. Budgets always have winners and losers and reflect the degree to which programs will be implemented. A review of President Barack Obama’s proposed budget and recent agency actions demonstrates that increased enforcement of labor […]

In States Where Unemployment Rates Rise, Employer Costs May Follow

According to the most recent Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, state and regional unemployment rates continued their upward climb throughout the month of March. Forty-six states reported unemployment rate increases in March, and all 50 states and the District of Columbia have higher rates than they did […]

So You Think You Can Dance?

Litigation Value:  $250,000 The “Café Disco” episode of The Office might as well have been called “The Hostile Work Environment.” Or “The No Work Environment.” Dunder Mifflin Scranton turned into a coffee house dance bar at the expense of any corporate productivity. A hostile work environment exists when an employee experiences workplace harassment and fears […]

‘Above All, Try Something’

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Bob Brady finds the balance between two seemingly conflicting pieces of advice—”Avoid mistakes” and “Try something”—and admits to a few mistakes of his own. In the last couple of days I’ve come across two contrasting, intriguing quotes. One, from Franklin Roosevelt when he was facing the grave economic […]