Most Popular

Diversity—It’s Hard to Achieve More Than Lip Service

Achieving workplace diversity isn’t easy—even for global powerhouses like Google. “We’re not where we want to be when it comes to diversity,” Google observes in a January 2014 demographic report, which reveals that 70% of Google’s employees are male and 61% are white.

david

4 Tips for Better Diverse Team Communication

A very good friend of mine, who is of Polish decent, was reading an article in Polish next to me and pointed to a name referenced repeatedly, that being Michał Anioł. She looked up at me peering over her shoulder and said, “You know this guy.”

The Merger

LITIGATION VALUE: Two weeks pay. Michael’s theory that a merger is like a marriage is an interesting one. He just seems to have forgotten that more than half of all marriages end in divorce. This week’s “divorce” was with Anthony Gardner, the employee Michael drove away with his crazy antics. Indeed, if it wasn’t bad […]

Drug Tests: New Restrictions On Random Testing

A recent California Court of Appeal ruling involving an employee who agreed to undergo random drug testing places new restrictions on when you can administer drug tests. Random Drug Test Conducted On Employee’s Day Off Perrin Edgerton, a Caltrans equipment operator in the Redding area, failed a random drug test that came up positive for […]

Management Courage: Having the Heart of a Lion

Cheryl Stone, SPHR, reviews Margaret Morford’s book Management Courage: Having the Heart of a Lion. She finds the book  a quick read that will be useful to human resources professionals. In her book, Management Courage: Having the Heart of a Lion, Margaret Morford sets out six principles to guide managers through tough workplace decisions.  The […]

What to Do When You ‘Hear It Through the Grapevine’

When you get hints of inappropriate activity (e.g., a boss “hitting” on a subordinate or racial teasing) but no evidence, no corroboration, and no complaint, should you act? Yes, says today’s expert. The bottom line is that, when faced with a “hint” of inappropriate activity, you absolutely should act, says attorney Thomas N. Makris, SPHR. […]

Incorporating Anti-Harassment into Your BYOD Policy

In today’s technological landscape, it’s becoming more and more common for employees to use personal devices while on the job—commonly referred to as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). Employers often promote this practice because it reduces out-of-pocket expenses for the employer, since they no longer have to foot the bill to purchase new technology. However, […]

State-of-the-Art Simulation Training Gives Employees Hands-On Experience

Many organizations are turning to virtual simulators to create realistic training scenarios and, in the process, help employees refine their skills and learn best practices. From computerized flight simulators for pilots to simulators that give healthcare professionals opportunities to practice lifesaving skills, the technology is proving to be a great benefit for a wide range […]

interview

Remote Workers Who Rely on Technology Seek a Human Connection, Says Survey

Polycom—a content collaboration solutions provider—and Future Workplace—an HR executive network and research firm—has released results of a new global study of 25,234 workers entitled, “The Human Face of Remote Working”. The study uncovered how collaborative technologies have made employees more empathetic and build better coworker relationships, despite the remote working stigma of laziness and isolation.

Bringing HR into the 21st Century

By Morag Barrett Some of HR’s policies and practices (including training) seem a little dated by today’s standards. Today guest columnist Morag Barrett makes the case for why HR must be brought into the 21st century.