Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
We have quite a diverse population in our area, and many of our applicants do not have good English skills. Can we require our employees to be able to speak English? We think it’s critical for our salespeople who deal with the public, and really, just as important for our assembly, fabrication, and warehouse workers […]
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady My February 1 e-pinion declared that while we’d all like to make universal health care an entitlement, it’s just not going to happen as aging Baby Boomers threaten to collapse the system. Serious compromise will be called for. Well, that column generated many interesting responses. Here’s a sampling: […]
Need help with an FMLA issue? Having difficulty determining whether an employee’s time off qualifies under the California Family Rights Act, the state counterpart to the FMLA? At the Employer Resource Institute, we offer valuable resources that can put the information you need right at your fingertips, 24 hours a day, every day of the […]
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a long-awaited proposal to update and retool regulations under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The proposal covers many topics, including notice requirements, medical certifications, the definition of “continuing treatment” for a serious health condition, fitness for duty, and more.
Wellness! It’s a great-sounding concept, but a little vague—and thus hard to sell to senior management. Today’s expert—an SPHR-certified occupational physician—breaks it down into easy-to-grasp basics. If Time magazine named a “Corporate Buzzword of the Year”, it might well be “wellness.” But what exactly does it mean, and what do you have to do to […]
A recent Gallup study shows the higher the compensation, the happier the employee. Happy employees build business success. But where’s the limit? A classic resource may help you find it. Everyone wants happy employees, right? Happy employees are productive, inventive, and supportive of all you do. Yesterday, we gave you one tool to make them […]
What do the Washington State Department of Personnel (DOP), Agile Software, and the Ritz Carlton Hotels have in common? All use the “10-Minute Stand-Up”—a no-chairs-allowed daily meeting to beat the endless meeting syndrome. All across the business world, long, meandering meetings are the most universally disparaged part of the day. However, some organizations have found […]
We have an employee who’s not up to par. We’ve tried to explain his shortcomings in disciplinary meetings and performance reviews, but he just refuses to acknowledge his performance problems. What do we do? —Anonymous
In light of important new rules on the FMLA that government announced Monday, we’re foregoing our usual column to bring you this HRDA News Extra. At a recent HR conference, a speaker said, “Let’s talk about how to manage intermittent leave.” He paused, and then laughed, as did the audience. That’s been the prevailing attitude […]
Yesterday’s Advisor talked about one of the dumbest, yet most prevalent, management actions—retaliation. Today, let’s talk about how to prevent it. Let’s admit it—nothing feels as good as planning retaliation. And nothing can make you feel as bad if you actually go through with it. So what can you do to stop managers from acting […]