Most Popular

job

Recruiting Self-Sabotage

Employers recruiting today are faced with candidates who have lots of ways to find jobs, easy access to information about employers, and lots of options, despite high unemployment levels. This means employers still need to be diligent in their recruiting process. Unfortunately, there are a lot of ways recruiters may be self-sabotaging their own efforts.

training

Pre- and Postshift Work Ignites Fire for Sprinkler Company

When employees work on client jobsites or at remote locations, it may be tempting to pay them based on their scheduled hours instead of tracking their specific hours worked. But if they perform work before or after their scheduled shifts, which includes tasks such as loading and unloading tools, then they need to be paid […]

Skills

Workers Identify Barriers to Closing the Skills Gap

In a new survey, 79% of U.S.  workers acknowledge there is a skills gap in the United States.  Notably, however, nearly the same percentage (78%) believe they have above average skills for their current job, and 80% think the workforce can be successfully reskilled to meet the demands of the job market.  So, why in […]

Small Merit Budget? Carve-Outs Let You Differentiate Performance

Yesterday’s Advisor offered the first 6 of 9 factors necessary to make pay for performance real. Today, three more factors, plus an introduction to the all-compensation-in-one-place website, Compensation.BLR.com. 7. Make Merit Matter [Go here for factors 1 to 6.] Of course, one of the problems with merit pay has been that we’re mostly working with […]

Short-lived Sale Option Did Not Negate COBRA Small-employer Exception

A former employee argued that her former employer, which employed fewer than 20 employees (and thus was exempt from COBRA) for eight months of the year, formed an affiliated service group with another employer and thus employed more than 20 employees for four months of that year. Thus, she contended the employer became subject to […]

Four Ways to Lower the Cost of Drugs for Your Employees

No one buys drug insurance. We buy health insurance. Yet, the drug portion of that health plan can and should also be a strategic investment in your employees, which can positively impact your bottom line.  That’s because patients dealing with chronic diseases, including 6 out of 10 adults in the U.S., typically take maintenance medications […]

U.S. Supreme Court to Arizona Fire District: Size Doesn’t Matter

Last year, Arizona found itself at the center of the first opinion of the new U.S. Supreme Court term. The opinion, authored by the Court’s oldest member, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (86), took on the issue of whether state and local governments with fewer than 20 employees can be sued for age discrimination. With […]

workers'

Ask the Expert: Workers’ Comp, Unemployment, Disability Benefits Generally Not Allowed at Same Time

Q           Can employees collect workers’ compensation at the same time as unemployment or state disability insurance payments? The short answer is no. In Wisconsin, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, and disability insurance are distinct forms of support, each designed to address specific situations. Workers’ comp provides financial and medical benefits to employees who suffer work-related injuries or […]

How the CHRO Can Lead the Change to Becoming a Dynamic Organization

After the global pandemic and the disruption it caused, CEOs could be forgiven for wanting a period of stability. Instead, they’ve had to concentrate on protecting their businesses from the ongoing impacts of war, supply chain disruption, political and economic turbulence, persistent inflation, and ongoing labor shortages. That’s not the end, either—a combination of demographics, […]

company culture

2021: A Progress Report

My last contribution to this blog happened to be the first post of 2021. I titled it “Welcome, 2021. Let’s Talk …” and offered up some lighthearted suggestions for how the new year could improve on 2020’s nightmarish experience. One “suggestion” I gave to our new year was the following: