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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 […]

Sexual Harassment

Mentor Sued for Sexual Harassment Points to Lack of Training as Excuse

A male scientist allegedly expressed his interest in having a sexual relationship with a female graduate student on numerous occasions while mentoring her on remote research excursions deep in the woods of Alaska. The student later sued him and the university where she was pursuing a doctorate degree, alleging hostile work environment.

Six Critical Steps to Take to Effectively and Professionally Terminate an Employee

If you’re like most HR professionals, you probably don’t enjoy terminating employees. In fact, you probably would prefer to avoid it altogether. However, sometimes it’s part of the job and there are those employees who simply need to be delivered the bad news. Here are six steps to take to effectively and professionally terminate an […]

What’s A Popular Work Perk for Work/Life Balance?

Employers and workers aren’t on the same page about juggling personal and professional priorities, new research from staffing firm OfficeTeam shows. More than six in 10 senior managers (63%) interviewed said their company is very supportive of its employees’ efforts to achieve work/life balance, yet only 34% of staff agree. This compares to 45% of […]

data

Empathetic Technology: What Makes Frontline Tech Tick

An obvious but often ignored theme of workplace technology is that its business impact depends on the extent of its adoption. For those relying on technology to get their jobs done, dissatisfaction with existing solutions may impact not only performance but also attrition. In fact, “49% of US workers say they are likely to leave […]

Time

Cautionary Tale from California: Don’t Presume State Courts Will Follow Federal Guidance

The California Supreme Court recently made national headlines when it declined to follow—strictly as a matter of policy—70-year-old precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in a case interpreting the state’s comparable wage regulations. To be sure, the policy goals and judicial philosophies of California and other parts of […]

Debunking Common FMLA Myths

by Joseph C. Pettygrove The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was very complicated when it was originally enacted in 1993. The sheer number of complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the courts since then confirms that employers and employees have long disagreed about how the law applies in their individual […]

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.

Coming Soon to a Store Near You: Union Organizing Campaign

After years of declining membership, unions are redoubling their efforts to sell their product (membership) to new customers. While they have long targeted grocery stores like Kroger and SuperValu, they are now moving into the so-called “new economy” by zeroing in on employers like Amazon and Starbucks.