Author: Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR

Class Actions on the Rise—Are You Next?

One of the most feared phrases in the HR lexicon is “class action” or how to turn a one-employee small suit into a many-employee gigantic suit. Today we will look at survey data on class actions and at the best tool for preventing them. In yesterday’s Advisor we looked at lawsuit cost data from law […]

United Airlines Forks Out $850,000 in Disability Bias Settlement

An $850,000 settlement was recently announced between United Airlines and the San Francisco office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the proceeds of which will be paid out to a class of United’s disabled employees. The settlement resolves a case filed by the EEOC alleging that United’s overtime policies disproportionately denied disabled employees opportunities […]

Survey Says: 21% of Companies Are Litigation Free!

Unfortunately, the headline also means that 79% of companies did experience new litigation last year, according to a survey by the law firm Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Here are top findings of interest to HR managers. Fulbright’s Fifth Annual Litigation Trends Survey, billed as the “largest canvas of corporate counsel on litigation and trends,” garnered […]

It’s Called Managing, Not Mangling

In yesterday’s Advisor the “boss whisperer” helped managers get information from subordinates. Today, her tips on how to approach the abrasive manager. The boss whisperer is executive coach Dr. Laura Crawshaw. These tips are from her book, Taming the Abrasive Manager: How to End Unnecessary Roughness in the Workplace. When you present the facts, the […]

Boss Whisperer Tames Abrasive Bosses

You know of the Horse Whisperer, and maybe the Dog Whisperer? Now we’ve got the self-proclaimed boss whisperer—executive coach Dr. Laura Crawshaw. Here are some tips from her book, Taming the Abrasive Manager: How to End Unnecessary Roughness in the Workplace. Crawshaw starts by identifying the five primary behavioral characteristics of abrasive bosses. How many […]

Oh, How I Love a Good Off-Site Meeting

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Business meetings and business travel have been getting a lot of bad press the last few months, led by the poster child for bad PR, the much-maligned, beaten-and-battered insurance giant, AIG. But BLR’s CEO Bob Brady finds value in getting off-site. Faced with tough economic times, BLR has […]

Our Telecommuters Are at Work—Or Are They?

Telecommuting allows employees to work part or all of their standard workweek from a remote location, “seamlessly commuting” by e-mail, cell phones, and virtual private networks. (Editor’s note: It’s not always “seamless.”) Telecommuting has evolved from being a convenience to a business strategy to a business necessity. With the high cost of commuting for employees, […]

WAHOO Wins Kudos for HR Department

WAHOO—Work At Home Office Opportunity—is just one example of employee-centered thinking that has helped Mitchell International achieve success. Today’s Advisor looks at how they do it. With an HR mission statement that says, “…we exist to support the organization in achieving its strategic objectives and to ensure that we continue to attract, motivate, and retain […]

Metrics ‘Gotchas’—Blindsided in the C-Suite

Even with the best of metrics, you’re not home free, says Attorney James P. Greene. Once top management starts in on your stats, you won’t likely escape unscathed. Be prepared to be hit with these common “gotchas.” Greene, a member of the Ann Arbor, Michigan, office of the law firm Dykema Gossett, and director of […]