Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Mark Schickman HR directors usually aren’t the most politically powerful officers in higher-level corporate cultures. The function doesn’t produce product or create sales, so there’s no ready way to judge its value and contribution. Like a solid defensive lineman, an HR director is working best when basking in total anonymity — when no HR […]
By Alix Herber Canada’s two largest provinces — Ontario and Quebec — now have laws requiring employers to seek to provide workplaces free of “harassment.” No longer limited to human rights-related harassment, the term is broadly defined in these laws. Further, Ontario’s new law extends beyond harassment. It, like the federal law, also will require […]
Mike Judge has done it again. A few months ago, I wrote about one of my favorite workplace flicks, Office Space, and the dangers of pushing off uncomfortable employment issues (specifically Milt Waddams, a mumbly arsonist-to-be). Now I’m hooked on Mike Judge’s latest project, HBO’s Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley chronicles the ups and downs of […]
There are three “legs” that support managers and supervisors in doing their jobs—policies and practices, performance management, and job descriptions. Unfortunately, in many companies, each leg is weakened by basic mistakes that make compliance difficult Here are the most common mistakes: Policies and Practices Mistakes Mistake #1: No policies at All The no policies approach […]
Decades into reviewing the pluses and minuses of 401(k) defined contribution retirement plans, most employer plan sponsors have chosen to offer plan loans, which on the one hand give participants early partial access to their retirement funds but also threaten to erode those savings. A new paper suggests that plans’ loan policy can shape participant borrowing, […]
In yesterday’s post, we discussed the importance of using eLearning in your new hire onboarding experience, as well as the benefits this strategy has to offer. If you’re considering using a learning management system (LMS) tool for your training process, you’ll want to keep these six features in mind.
Antonina Lonicki worked as a technician in the sterile processing department of Sutter Health Central in the Sacramento area. Lonicki performed the same work duties at a second job on weekends for Kaiser Permanente. Over time, Lonicki alleged, her Sutter workload increased and became hectic and stressful. One day, when Sutter unexpectedly changed Lonicki’s shift, […]
What can you learn about how employees and job seekers view your company by searching Twitter? Perhaps more than you might realize.
I think it’s a natural tendency for people to want to be in control. In fact, I read the other day that the feeling of a lack of control contributes significantly to a person’s stress level. So, it makes sense that all of us would prefer to be in control. It certainly beats the alternative […]
by Kyla Stott-Jess Is a Canadian employer justified in terminating an employee for cause when that employee has disobeyed company policy? What if the consequences of the employee’s failure to follow policy put other employees at serious risk of harm? Not necessarily, said the Ontario Supreme Court recently in Barton v. Rona Ontario Inc. Rather, […]