Author: Elaine Quayle

social media

The Social Media ‘Spliff’ Up

In yet another case of an employee slipping up on social media, a repair shop worker recently sent out a tweet asking for drugs—a spliff to be specific—while at work. How did his employer find out? The cops! After seeing the tweet, the York Regional Police responded with “Can we come too?” Awesome! Can we […]

When Your Hammer Is Your Screwdriver—Talent Management

To do that, sometimes you have to use a hammer as a screwdriver, he says. Katz made his comments at BLR’s Strategic Leadership HR Summit, held recently in Scottsdale, Arizona. Katz is president of Penguin Human Resource Consulting LLC. When Is a Hammer a Screwdriver? Katz shows a picture of a hammer and asks, “What’s […]

Expert answers on California employment policies

How should a small employer in California get started in creating an employee handbook? Are floating holidays subject to use-it-or-lose it policies in California like sick days? Or must they be treated like vacation days and paid upon termination?

5 Tips for Effective Succession Planning

If a firm loses its top leaders, who will take their place? It’s a question without an answer within many organizations, according to new research from Robert Half Legal. Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal, stresses that “proactive planning not only ensures the transfer of knowledge and business continuity, but it also adds […]

Contractors Must Implement Hiring Goals for Workers With Disabilities, Veterans

Federal contractors and subcontractors must soon meet a hiring goal for workers with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Aug. 27. New regulations have been finalized that will, among other things, require contractors to ensure that workers with disabilities make up 7 percent of their workforces. In addition to the hiring goal, the rules require that […]

Casual About Temps? Danger–Laws Still Apply

The contingent workforce is the fastest growing segment of the national workforce, with nearly three-quarters of employers using “temps,” according to a survey by CyberShift. Unfortunately, many managers think employment laws don’t apply to contingent workers. That’s dangerous. Defining ‘Contingent Workers’ “Contingent workers” are generally those who are hired through staffing firms or leasing companies […]

Bad Press for Ending COBRA Due to 26 Cents Premium Shortfall Shows Need to Know the Rules

COBRA’s premium payment rules took center stage Aug. 12, when the “Bamboozled” column in the New Jersey Star-Ledger reported that a qualified beneficiary with leukemia had his coverage terminated early because his premium payment was 26 cents short. The story had a happy ending, but employers and their service providers can avoid being the villains […]

Treat Temps Casually? Danger—Laws Still Apply

Defining Contingent Workers Contingent workers are generally those who are hired through staffing firms or leasing companies and whose jobs are structured to last only a certain length of time. If a company does not clearly define a “contingent worker,” who is an employee, and who is not an employee, managers may start using contingent […]