Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
As the new calendar year begins, many organizations are wisely asking, “What can we do to protect our business assets from an employment law perspective?” This is a great question, and the beginning of the year is the perfect time to take stock of existing policies and their effectiveness, review recent changes to applicable laws, […]
by Mary B. Andersen, CEBS, ERPA, QPA ‘Lost in Space” was a popular television series in the 1960s. Sabotage by crew member Dr. Zachary Smith threw the ship off course and launched endless adventures. Today’s equivalent of Dr. Smith is an unauthorized computer hacker who breaks into data security systems and wreaks havoc on confidential […]
Can big data solve your HR problems? The important thing to remember is that the basis of big data is statistics, and you have to be careful interpreting results. So-called confounding variables may muddy the waters. For example: History can intervene. The measurement may have been accurate, but things changed during the measuring period and […]
A former police chief in Vermont was correctly classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act’s executive exemption — despite the fact that he frequently had to perform patrol work — because the bulk of his duties were still considered managerial, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled Aug. 10. In spite of his status as […]
by Tammy Binford It’s hard to think of anything more sacred to employers than the doctrine of employment at will. Employers have long been advised to make sure their employees are aware of their at-will status, meaning that unless employees have an employment contract, they can be terminated for good reason, bad reason, or no […]
Laura Hanson’s journey in HR began not in a classroom but at a receptionist’s desk in a manufacturing firm. While responding to calls and screening résumés, fate intervened. A triple departure from the HR team propelled her into a generalist role, throwing her into the heart of the action. This “baptism by fire” proved to […]
“Eat less and exercise more.” “Change your behavior and you’ll lose weight.” “It’s all in your head.” “It’s your lack of willpower.” “You’re selfish and lazy.” This is what people with obesity often hear from the media, friends, family and strangers. Sadly, it’s what many hear from their doctors, too. More than half of patients […]
In a previous post, we discussed the importance of employee productivity for businesses across all industries. Labor is a significant input into so many businesses, it’s crucial to make sure you’re getting the most out of that input.
RiseSmart, a provider of contemporary career transition services, has released its 2017 Guide to Severance and Workforce Transition. The Guide helps organizations ensure their severance policies are competitive and comprehensive. Containing rich data from a survey of U.S. businesses with at least 500 employees, the Guide gives organizations an easy way to benchmark their severance […]
“Since slides packed with long lists of bullet points result in “cognitive overload” for learners, Cliff Atkinson recommends that trainers design their presentations in a format that’s consistent with the way people think. Atkinson, author of Beyond Bullet Points (Microsoft 2005), says most learners can retain only three or four pieces of information at any […]