Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Kyla Stott-Jess Over the last month, the Canadian news media has devoted significant time to covering the Jian Ghomeshi scandal. Aside from the celebrity gossip factor, the story has had such staying power because it touches on so many controversial issues—BDSM (Bondage & Discipline / Domination & Submission / Sadism & Masochism), sexual consent, […]
Because of advances in technology, we now have a lot of information about our employees that we never had before. For example, we know where—exactly where—many of our employees are because of the GPS capabilities of their phones and automobiles. Is it an invasion of privacy to ask questions based on that information, e.g., Why […]
A B-school professor proposes an “antidiscrimination bond,” a tool that would screen out persons likely to sue you for discrimination before they’re ever hired. Would you use it? Since the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, governmental power has been directed at ending discrimination in the workplace. In a possible ironic twist, […]
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 […]
by Dan Oswald Viktor Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist as well as a Holocaust survivor. His experiences in the German concentration camps gave him a unique perspective on the importance of purpose in a person’s life. While in the concentration camps, Frankl lost nearly everything. His father and mother died in the camps, […]
[ go here for the first three T’s] Training Training is a reward. Top people want to keep their skills up and you need them to believe that the organization cares about keeping employee skills up to date. Development is both a management responsibility and an employee reward. What If We Train and They Leave? […]
It’s obvious you have to pay employees for all the hours they spend doing their job. But violations of this rule by employers are common, and they can be very expensive. A few years back, for example, Nordstrom had to set aside millions of dollars to settle a class action lawsuit charging numerous “off-the-clock” violations. […]
Despite the growing sophistication of telecommunications tools and employers’ increasing willingness to allow employees to work remotely, being located in a desirable location can be a draw for companies looking to attract top talent.
by Elizabeth J. Boca A California law taking effect on January 1 removes the word “alien” from the state’s Labor Code. The new law deletes two sections of the Labor Code as a way of modernizing and removing negative connotations in the law. In 1937, the California Legislature enacted various provisions regarding the employment of […]