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Anticipate Great Success at Work in 2016

The opening line of Carly Simon’s 1971 song Anticipation is “We can never know about the days to come, but we think about them anyway.” As I write this, it’s the first day back at work in the new year, and anticipation sums up the way I feel today. Webster’s defines anticipation as “a feeling […]

Training Budgets Remain Largely Flat in 2022, But Allocations Shift

With growing wage pressure, historic inflation, and recession fears on the rise heading into 2023, one might expect training and development budgets to be on the chopping block for many organizations, as they have so often been in the past when money got tight. Fortunately, recent data suggests that annual U.S. training expenditures per employee […]

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How to Improve Managers’ Lives

Are your managers happy? Are they satisfied with their jobs? How can the HR team (or the greater organization) impact their satisfaction levels and make the job less frustrating?

HRDA Frankly Speaking: Your HR Data Strategy—Tell Stories That Drive Action

You know HR data is powerful. You’ve got the numbers, but how do you make them truly count? It’s not just about crunching figures; it’s about making them speak volumes and drive real change. Sarah Sheffer, Senior Manager of HR Data and Analytics at ADM and speaker at Spark Talent 2025, says there’s one skill that separates […]

Designating FMLA— First Place Employers Fail

When the employer has enough information to determine whether the leave is being taken for a FMLA-qualifying reason (e.g., after receiving a certification), the employer must notify the employee whether the leave will be designated and will be counted as FMLA leave within 5 business days, absent extenuating circumstances. The employer is always responsible for […]

Obama takes steps toward requiring paid sick leave

by Tammy Binford Is it a sensible plan to boost productivity and give workers the help they deserve, or is it an unaffordable, unfair mandate on already overburdened employers? President Barack Obama’s announcement of a push to pass a paid sick leave law is likely to garner both reactions. Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to […]

The 10 Most Costly Management Mistakes—and How to Avoid Them

“It’s a case of perception vs. reality. The plaintiff perceives he (she) was disciplined, retaliated against, and harassed.  The reality is different. He (she) was terminated for a legitimate, non-discriminatory, non-retaliatory reason by a professional, well-trained manager with supportive documentation.” Jurors are never on the side of the employers, says Zandy, who is with the […]

Feathered Friend or Foe? Frightening Fowl Goes Postal

Being a mail carrier is a demanding job. Sure, it may look luxurious if you live in a rural town. You get to drive around all day and never have to leave the comfort of your vehicle. For one mail carrier in New Jersey, however, working in a rural town appears to be more of […]

Small Data May Help More than Big Data, Despite the Hype

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 […]