Author: Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR

Major Hiring Mistakes – and How to Avoid Them

“You can’t expect great employees to find you,” says top consultant, Gevity HR. Their research has identified five mistakes managers must avoid if they want to attract exceptional employees. Oh, that nasty feeling when you first realize that a new hire isn’t what you hoped—not up to doing the job, can’t motivate people, or whatever. […]

Disabilities: How Do We Determine Whether an Employee Is a Safety Threat?

We have a large workforce, and many people operate machinery, fork trucks, etc. Plus, many handle hazardous substances. We now think that some employees have medical conditions that may cause them to lose concentration, and we have some other employees who may be taking medications that might affect their ability to work safely. How do […]

Employment Law Tip: Steer Clear of Investigation Missteps

Conducting internal investigations can be key to helping employers avoid lawsuits when an employee complains or there’s other evidence of misconduct or workplace problems. But if not handled properly, investigations can also land an employer in hot water. In a recent Employer Resource Institute audio conference, California employment attorney Roy A. Clark discussed problems that […]

The 5 Killer Job Description Mistakes – and How to Avoid Them

Let’s hear it for job descriptions! OK, we agree, no one’s cheering about doing them, but we did explain in yesterday’s Advisor how important they are. Fortunately, there’s a handy program that makes quick work of job description tasks. We’re talking about BLR’s unique Job Descriptions Encyclopedia. Around here, we call it the “JDE.” Here’s […]

Job Descriptions – Pain, Priority, or Both?

Job Descriptions: They’re probably the dullest task in HR management—annoying to do and easy to put off. But hold on—maybe you should get to them today. Let’s see why. “I’ve got more important things to do than going over dusty job descriptions.” Maybe you do. But when your CEO starts screaming about retention and employee […]

Employee Leaves: How Do We Get Control of Our PTO Program?

We’ve got a situation around our PTO (Paid Time Off) program. When we first initiated it, people liked it, and we thought that the very clear policy—exceed your accrued PTO days and you won’t get paid for any additional time off—would work well. We figured employees would hoard their days, and that we’d only have […]

‘Happiness Haters’ Unite Against Harvard Study

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Harvard says we need happiness at work. But BLR’s founder says something else is even more important. Once again Harvard University scholars have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to “discover” the obvious. After considerable research, the Harvardians concluded that workplaces are more productive when people are positive, […]

Claims Adjusters Don’t Qualify for Overtime Exemption

Liberty Mutual’s claims adjusters investigated and estimated claims, made coverage determinations, negotiated settlements, and identified potential fraud. The claims adjusters sued the insurer for back overtime pay, claiming they were misclassified as exempt administrative employees. A California appeals court has now ruled in the employees’ favor, finding that they didn’t qualify for the administrative overtime […]