Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Brian Jones Just My E-pinion “Our senior leaders just don’t get it!” This refrain is heard all too frequently, especially during discussions regarding an organization’s leadership development efforts, says Brian Jones, today’s guest columnist. We all want our senior leaders to “get it”—to support, participate, and buy in to the organization’s leadership development initiatives. […]
In today’s we-want-to-be-the-employer-of-choice world, isn’t it counterintuitive to be telling each new employee, “We can fire you for any reason or no reason”? In the face of the numerous exceptions to employment-at-will status (see yesterday’s Advisor), why would any company bother with at-will statements? Even though it may seem wrong from a morale standpoint, and […]
What HR manager hasn’t heard, “We’re an at-will employer, so why do I need documentation before I fire?” Good question, says today’s expert. After all, what is ambiguous about the at-will doctrine? In most organizations, employees are “at will,” that is, they are hired for no specific time period, with no contractual relationship, and employment […]
Having explained generational baggage in yesterday’s Advisor, n-gen People Performance Inc. consultant Giselle Kovary moves on to tips for getting, keeping, and growing employees of different generations. You have to be able to tell a story that’s appealing to all four generations, says Kovary. Analyze your current approach: What is your unique selling proposition? What […]
Every employee brings “generational baggage,” and today’s HR manager has to carry four generations’ baggage at once, says Giselle Kovary. Kovary, a consultant at n-gen People Performance Inc., specializes in helping companies “get, keep, and grow” four generations of workers simultaneously. In her well-attended session at the recent SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) Annual […]
It’s easy to get off-track during a hiring interview—one minute you’re running through the list of job requirements, and the next you’re discussing personal details of the candidate’s life that you’re really better off not knowing. Review this checklist frequently to help ensure you stay within the legal lines during your interviews. Forbidden Questions—Age “How […]
What a response to our recent story about “the employee who was too good”! (Go here to see original story.) Some readers called for a boycott, some lashed out at management, and one lashed out at HR. Although most readers heaped lavish praise on Mr. Foster, one reader wasn’t convinced that he was such a […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we discussed the “overtime revolution” and hit some common overtime violations. Today, more violations and the announcement of an audio conference that will help insulate you from overtime lawsuits. As we said yesterday, overtime violations, easy as they should be to avoid, just keep coming and coming. And many involve high-dollar settlements. […]
The California legislative session is now over, and while many workplace-related bills were approved by the state Senate and Assembly, Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed all but a handful of them. In fact, the governor vetoed 35 percent—a record—of all bills sent to him, following the historic 85-day delay in passing a state budget and the governor’s […]
Changes to overtime rules have been in place since 2004 , yet employers are getting tripped up for big-dollar lawsuits with increasing frequency. What’s up with that? Just a few examples from recent headlines: • McLand, a wholesale distributor of food and grocery products, pays $1.5 million in overtime to “retail merchandising specialists.” • Allied […]