Author: Elaine Quayle

Give the Gift of ZZZs

Nearly 70 percent of respondents to a BLR poll believed that taking a nap during their shift would make them more productive workers. However, many workplaces—assuming they would allow naps—may not have a suitable place for employees to sleep. There have been some extravagant products we reported on, like the EnergyPod—a reclined pod-like chair that […]

Minding Employees’ Hearts During the Holidays

Holiday parties can be a great way to show your employees’ you appreciate them and inspire a sense a camaraderie at your company, but the gathering can also bring forward a host of HR issues related to alcohol, religious issues, or even sexual harassment. A new infographic looks at a—perhaps underestimated—threat at holiday office parties, […]

Tis’ the Season for Peculiar Presents

Twenty-two percent of workers plan on exchanging gifts with coworkers this holiday season, while 21 percent are buying a gift for their boss, according to a new survey. Now for the strange part—Respondents were asked to share the most unusual gifts received from coworkers. Here are a few odd gifts:

Learn How New IRS Guidance on Windsor Affects Cafeteria Plans, FSAs, HSAs

On Dec. 16, the IRS issued clarifications on how the U.S. v. Windsor ruling on same-gender marriage affects the administration of cafeteria plans, flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts. IRS Notice 2014-1 is in the form of 10 questions and answers regarding midyear election changes, FSA reimbursements and contribution limits for HSAs and dependent […]

Worksite Privacy from Social Networking to Social Security

Happy Holidays to all our readers from the Advisor Team: Amanda, Chelsea, Kate, Rafael, and Steve! [Go here for privacy issues 1 to 4.] 5. Social Networking Sites Employees have increasingly been utilizing social networking sites for a variety of uses, both personal and professional. Although these sites can be beneficial, their use can also […]

Be Careful When Training Older Generations

Today’s Advisor contains answers from our “Ask the Expert” feature on HR.BLR.com.. The question is, “Is it permissible to exclude employees from training if they are expected to retire soon?” Here is how our expert responded: Especially in light of the economy, it is understandable that an employer would want to invest its training dollars […]

Where to Start with Your Job Descriptions? Use Our Questionnaire

In Yesterday’s Advisor, we covered the basic pitfalls in job description writing. Today, a handy job analysis questionnaire you can use, plus good news—there’s a checklist-based audit system for you to use to evaluate all your HR practices. Here’s a basic questionnaire that you can use to write new job descriptions (or to review existing […]

Does Your Training Engage Generation Y Employees?

The question is, “What can trainers do to engage Generation Y workers in training?” Here is how our experts responded: As Generation Y employees enter the workforce and advance within a company, HR professionals need to keep in mind that the expectations and needs of these 20-somethings differ from those of their older colleagues. Generation […]

11 Common Workplace Privacy Issues (and 4 Common-Law Claims)

Only a Reasonable Expectation It is important to remember that employees have only a reasonable expectation of privacy. Employers can lower the threshold of what is considered reasonable by developing a clear policy addressing workplace privacy issues and communicating the policy to their employees. Private Employees Enjoy Relatively Little Freedom Several states have enacted statutory […]