Author: jessica

Employee Pregnancy—Recognize, Don’t Patronize

When employees become pregnant, everyone wants to be understanding and protective, but it’s easy for “protective” and “caring” to turn into “discrimination” in court. The general rule is, a woman affected by pregnancy must be treated the same as other applicants and employees on the basis of their ability or inability to work. Employees with […]

Can Job Descriptions Lose Your Case in Court?

Job descriptions may seem mundane, but when they show up in court, they can kill your case if they’re not accurate. About.com‘s Susan M. Heathfield shares three key warnings for employers. 1. Job descriptions sometimes become outdated as soon as you write them. In this fast-paced, changing, customer-driven environment, it’s a challenge to keep job […]

The Delicate Business of Mental, Physical, and Environmental Job Requirements

HR managers developing job descriptions often face a tough question: What is the best way to list special job qualifications—such as mental, physical, or environmental job requirements—without running afoul of the law? Some job description writers are reluctant to list such requirements for fear that doing so might discriminate against an individual with a disability […]

Is Your Organization Ripe for Unionizing?

By Eric Magbaleta, SPHR Just My E-Pinion Today’s guest columnist says the recession is giving renewed life to union-organizing activities, and that makes it all the more important for organizations to provide fair wages and benefits and safe working conditions—and to show they care. There is no doubt that the economic downturn has had an […]

Your EQ and HR IQ for 2010

In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at self-awareness aspects of Emotional Intelligence or EQ. Today, again courtesy of Travis Bradbury and Jean Greaves, we’ll explore some of EQ’s social awareness strategies, and we’ll also talk about building your HR IQ for 2010. Bradberry and Greaves  are co-founders of TalentSmart®, a leading provider of emotional intelligence tests […]

58% of Performance Stems from EQ, Not IQ

In their new book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves suggest 58% of performance is due to EQ, and they show you how to make it work. Bradberry and Greaves  are co-founders of TalentSmart®, a leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training. Here are some of their recommendations for putting emotional intelligence […]

Can a Person Go to Jail for Harassment?

In yesterday’s Advisor, we presented HR tips from So Sue Me, Jackass, a new book by Amy Epstein Feldman and Robin Epstein. Today, we’ll get their take on sexual harassment, and take a look at a lawsuit preventer—the HR audit. Feldman is a nationally syndicated legal correspondent and general counsel of the Judge Group, Inc. […]