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by Dan Oswald While watching the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics, I was struck by the many similarities between a country’s Olympic team and a company’s employees. It might seem odd to draw that particular comparison, but let me explain and see if you also notice the correlation between the two. At the […]
A growing number of U.S. employers now view voluntary benefits, once considered perks that were “nice to have,” as integral to their core employee benefits strategy.
Although Downton Abbey focuses on the upstairs/downstairs dynamics of the fictional aristocratic Crawley family and their staff, there are still some lessons that contemporary employers may take from the show. For instance, in a recent episode, the staff dealt with the sudden resignation of second footman Alfred, as he was accepted into the Ritz cooking […]
by Dan Oswald Spring has sprung. The grass is green. The flowers are blooming. The trees are in full blossom. It’s that time of year again. Time for spring cleaning. Out with the old and in with the new. At least that’s my wife’s way of thinking. Last weekend, we spent a day cleaning out […]
Employers that own aircraft and find the tax treatment of their use complicated did not see much relief from final regulations IRS issued Aug. 1 in T.D. 9597. The final regulations on the operation of company aircraft leave intact many of the limitations to deductions contained in regulations it issued in 2007. In the end, […]
Results from a recent survey of small business owners conducted by Survey Monkey and CNBC found that “16% of small business owners (but 41% of small businesses with 50 employees or more) have had open positions for at least three months.” That’s a pretty big number for those 50+-employee companies. And those businesses have some […]
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced on January 9 she will step down, but no signs of immediate change to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) policy or pending audits are apparent. President Barack Obama praised Solis’ term as DOL leader but named no possible successor. “Over her long career in public service—as an […]
Workplace security is a critical concern for employers nationwide. Crimes against businesses are increasing. Companies like yours must be concerned about theft of equipment, inventory, trade secrets, computer information, and money. You also must take steps to prevent other security risks such as arson, vandalism, and workplace violence. Workplace crime not only affects the company […]
It seems that the number of people with allergies or sensitivities to various scents and smells has grown substantially. Some of those allergies can be severe, causing severe respiratory difficulties and other serious health issues.
Having a policy in place that forbids workplace romance is a great idea. In theory, anyway.