Author: Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR

Every Employee and Applicant Is a Talent Scout

Even with a 24-person recruiting team, VistaPrint is always looking for other sources to recruit top talent, so the company views each of its 900 employees—and each job applicant—as a talent scout. “The recruitment team is not the only team that is responsible for gathering talent here. Every person in this organization is asked to […]

Give Feedback—Good or Bad—to Get Peak Performance

By Jay ForteJust My E-pinion We have all seen the Olympic gymnasts and American Idol contestants anxiously wait for scores from the judges. That’s feedback, and whether it is good or bad, we always want information about how we are doing. Employees are no different. They need to know if they are making good decisions […]

What You Must Do Now—FMLA Notice and Certification

Yesterday’s Advisor covered policy revisions required by the new FMLA regs. Today we’ll look at changes required in notice and certification procedures, and we’ll introduce the complete guide to the new regs. Some of the biggest changes in the final FMLA regulations were to the provisions for FMLA notice and medical certification. General Notice Obligations […]

IRS Lowers Standard Mileage Rate for 2009

The IRS standard-mileage-reimbursement rate for 2009 will be 55 cents per mile for all business miles driven, down from the rate of 58.5 cents a mile that was in effect in the second half of 2008. The IRS had made a special adjustment for the second half of 2008 in response to a spike in […]

New FMLA Rules—Steps to Take Now

Yes, many of the changes to the FMLA will help employers in the long run, but in the meantime, it’s a hassle—the feds didn’t allot much time for putting the new rules into effect. Here’s what BLR editors recommend you do first. Family Military Leave: Add and Revise Policy Provisions The National Defense Authorization Act […]

Are ‘Stealth’ Violations Lurking in Your Selection Standards?

Employers with the best of intentions can get tripped up by “stealth” violations of testing discrimination laws, says Fay Hansen, blogging on the Workforce Management website. Fay Hansen points out several situations in which employers get into trouble with their testing. Jobs change The first stealth problem is simply that jobs change. In today’s work […]

Are Your ‘Impartial’ Tests Actually Discriminatory?

Even if your selection practices are purely objective and neutral, you’re not immune from liability for their “disparate impact.” Bottom line—it’s time to put your tests to the test. What’s considered a test in terms of hiring? Basically it’s any yardstick or evaluative tool you use to help you select employees. One of the theoretical […]

The Most Common Workers’ Comp Red Flags: Part 1

Have you ever gotten the feeling that an employee claiming workers’ comp wasn’t really injured, or wasn’t really injured on the job? Here’s a list of “red flags” to watch out for, courtesy of Cathy Divodi of Artemis Claims Consulting in Santa Rosa. Divodi spoke at ERI’s recent 2008 California Employment Law Update conference in […]

‘Forbidden’ Questions? Not So Fast, Say Readers

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady In a recent Advisor, we warned you away from 25 “forbidden” interview questions. Reader feedback ranged from “I didn’t know that” to “Everybody knows that” to “Are you sure you’re right?” to “I’m sure you’re wrong.” Today we sort it all out. Too Simplistic Regarding our list of […]

RIF Releases or Suits and Settlements? You Choose

Yesterday’s Advisor covered the legal pitfalls of layoffs. Today Attorney Bennett Pine gives you his take on release agreements, and we introduce an extraordinary collection of checklists that helps you through the whole range of HR challenges. Consider requiring employees to sign releases in exchange for receiving severance pay, Pine recommends. Although such agreements must […]