Author: David Slaughter, JD, Senior Content Specialist, Legal

Health Insurer Employee Pleads Guilty to SSN Theft

A former employee of a Massachusetts-based health insurer pleaded guilty to one count of illegal disclosure of Social Security numbers, after federal prosecutors alleged she stole plan members’ SSNs and other personal identifying information as part of a scheme to defraud the government. Emeline Lubin faces a possible prison sentence of up to five years […]

‘Liking’ Facebook Post About Employer Is Protected Concerted Activity, Says NLRB

The National Labor Relations Board ruled that “liking” a Facebook post criticizing an employer’s business practices constituted protected concerted activity for one restaurant employee, making his resulting termination unlawful. The Board also found violations in a number of the company’s other actions, including interrogating employees about the Facebook posts, threatening legal action and maintaining an […]

social media

Who Owns Your Company Social Media Accounts?

With most companies turning to social media for business promotion, a company social media account is looking more and more like a company asset. Yet the lines of ownership are easily blurred. Consider these questions:

Train New Leaders to Use These 7 Strategies

“There’s a lot of onboarding going on and not so much extensive assimilation coaching,” says Diane Egbers, president of Leadership Excelleration, Inc., (LEI Consulting) (www.leadershipexcelleration.com). She is also a coauthor of The Ascending Leader: Conquer the Seven Enemies of Success—A Strategic Guide for the Newly Promoted (Smart Business Network, 2013). Onboarding and orientation address the […]

Survey—Social Media Background Checks, Policy Enforcement

Yesterday’s Advisor covered survey results for policy development and distribution; today, policy enforcement and background checks.   Policy Focus: Background Checks Multiple states and cities have enacted laws in recent months that govern the use of background checks, so this year’s survey takes a closer look at those policies. We kicked it off by asking […]

harassment

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Quid Pro Quo Versus Hostile Work Environment

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a topic often met with either a snicker or an eye roll—it brings to mind a culture where inappropriate jokes and gender-based comments are the norm. But the reality of sexual harassment is serious, and it happens every day in our workplaces. Often, it’s not as obvious as inappropriate […]

Who’s Got Policies on What? Survey Says …

Do you have a policy on background checks? Social media? Want to know about policies your competitors have? Here are the results of our 2014 Policies survey. The results of BLR’s 2014 Policy Practices Survey are in; here are some highlights: 89.8% of participants have formalized policies. 77.5% have an at-will employment statement. Employee handbooks […]

Do You Train New Leaders to Avoid These 7 Enemies of Success?

Egbers, president of Leadership Excelleration, Inc., (LEI Consulting) (www.lei-consulting.com), says HR needs to be proactive about assimilating promoted leaders into their new roles. “It’s often what leaders don’t know that can harm them.”In The Ascending Leader: Conquer the Seven Enemies of Success—A Strategic Guide for the Newly Promoted, Egbers and coauthor Karen Schenck outline seven […]