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The Wisdom of Crowds

HR practitioner Paul Knoch reviews The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki. He finds that while the book is a bit heavy on theory and light on real-life examples, the examples that are provided are revealing and the book raises the important question of whether businesses should look beyond a small field of experts or […]

Customer Service Training Begins with Hiring the Right People

As we learned yesterday, the ultimate success of any business derives from the attitude of its employees. Good-natured employees not only diligently carry out their assigned tasks, but do so positively and creatively. They project good feelings and may find solutions to customer problems even where solutions don’t currently exist. That’s something even the best […]

Are You Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Training Buck?

Trainers are left to juggle these competing interests and to justify the company’s continued investment in training. However, trainers can create buy-in by demonstrating the value of training and positioning it as a crucial part of employees’ work, rather than a distraction from it. Anecdotal success stories can help create a positive mindset about training, […]

Don’t Do These Things to Employees on Vacation

School is almost over and that means pretty soon your employees will start taking their vacations. However, American’s are taking less vacation than ever. Various reports—released by Project Time Off—indicate that 40% of workers allow paid vacation days to go unused, often the result of employers subtly (or not so subtly) condemning time off and […]

School for Scandal: Hearst Corp. Latest Company to Be Sued by an Unpaid Intern

By Liza Casabona Thinking that an unpaid intern might provide an answer to payroll your budget woes? Think again. Several recent, high profile lawsuits filed by interns underscore the risks faced by companies sponsoring unpaid internships. The Hearst Corp. is among the latest companies to be accused by interns of wage and hour violations. The […]

The Job Stops Here: HR’s Role in Effective Terminations

People who make firing decisions always think they are doing “the righteous thing,” says attorney Edward M. Richters,” but that’s not what counts. How it plays to the judge, the jury, and the EEOC is what counts.” Richters comments came at a workplace law symposium sponsored by national employment law firm Jackson Lewis and the […]

New Alabama noncompete law starts in January

by Al Vreeland A bill signed into law over the summer will significantly strengthen Alabama employers’ ability to enforce noncompete agreements when the law takes effect January 1, 2016. The state’s old noncompete statute makes a broad statement that noncompete agreements are void. It then creates several exceptions into which courts have shoehorned the modern […]

Acting in Good Faith: How to Deal with Religion in the Workplace

The Constitution protects the freedom to practice religion. Employers must honor this right while balancing the needs of the business. Here are some guidelines for doing both. In virtually every religion, there are significant days on the calendar that dictate religious observance. For example, next Monday, October 2, is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, […]