Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
We’re in the process of rewriting our employee handbook, and we want to modify our employee appearance policy. What do we need to consider? We want our employees to look professional, but we don’t want to get caught in a lawsuit. —Ronald W., San Jose
“No good deed goes unpunished.” Nowhere is that more true than when untrained supervisors and managers try to be good bosses. If you’ve got new or recently promoted supervisors or managers, see if any of these situations are familiar: “Do you think you might be depressed?” asks the concerned but untrained boss. “I didn’t,” says […]
Storing records electronically means knowing a whole new set of skills and rules. There are the practical (“If I e-file a document, can I throw the signed paper copy away?”) and the legal (including some new rules from no less than the U.S. Supreme Court.) Just how do you get it all right in a […]
No one needs training to feel emotions around the Thanksgiving table, but how about around the conference table? Has the time come for emotional intelligence testing and training? “I wish I had a decoder for each relationship at the office.” “When one of my direct reports starts talking to me about her medical problems, I […]
Paid-Time-Off (PTO) programs can greatly simplify your attendance programs, but they can also be complicated. Our expert tackles “spendthrift” employees, and we also preview two upcoming BLR audio conferences, on December 5 and 12, that could answer all your PTO questions. What do you do with employees who use up all their PTO leave early […]
Looking for holiday gift ideas? Need a good book to read during your flight home for the holidays? Resources for Humans has you covered with our holiday picks… 1. Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw. Expert biographer David Nasaw provides a captivating biography of one of America’s most famous and successful businessmen and philanthropists. Nasaw takes […]
PTO (Paid Time Off) has been plugged as the new, better way to manage time off. Is it? Maybe, but there are pitfalls. Two experts explain how to implement a program that appeals to employees, encourages productivity, and doesn’t violate the law. Vacation time, sick time, personal time—who’s got the time … to keep track […]
LITIGATION VALUE: $200,000 (including Dunder Mifflin’s attorneys fees and deposition costs) Well, it finally happened. An employee has sued Dunder Mifflin for wrongful termination. I’m not usually one to say “I told you so” but, somehow, I just can’t stop myself this morning. While it is probably not illegal to fire someone for getting a […]
(Updated August 2009) by Sarah Fuson With Thanksgiving less than a week away, thoughts turn to turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. But Thanksgiving represents more than stuffing ourselves silly and watching football all day. The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 by the Pilgrims, a group of Puritans who fled England because […]
Samuel Goldwin, the legendary movie producer, was famous for lines like, “A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” When he was dealing with employees, one of his favorite sayings was, “I’ll take 50 percent efficiency to get 100 percent loyalty.” What does that have to do with employment law? Loyalty. In the […]