Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
A: Social media tools offer enhanced opportunities for learning outside of training courses, and companies are increasingly using these tools to support informal learning, says Jane Bozarth, author of Social Media for Trainers (www.bozarthzone.com). Social media can help learners stay connected—and keep the training topic in mind—long after a course is completed. Social media also […]
This HR Strange but True story has a happy ending for 117 workers but not for the person who didn’t follow a workplace policy. Well, actually the employee didn’t just allegedly break a workplace ban; he could be guilty of criminal violations of a state law—and risking a catastrophe. Hard as it is to believe, […]
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) recently released its annual report for fiscal year (FY) 2015. The report shows the agency paid $5.7 billion to more than 800,000 people in failed pension plans, which is comparable to the payments PBGC made in FY 2014.
by Michael Ford McCarthy Tetrault A long-awaited ruling of the Alberta Court of Appeal clears up some questions related to preemployment drug and alcohol testing related to safety-sensitive positions. The case – Chiasson v. Kellogg Brown & Root issued December 28, 2007 – involved an admitted casual user of marijuana being terminated from his employment […]
by Brian Smeenk Regular readers of Northern Exposure are well aware of the breadth, depth, and strength of Fasken Martineau’s Labor, Employment, and Human Rights Group. Well, our Group just got even broader, deeper, and stronger. And thus even better in our ability to serve any client’s needs, no matter the complexity, urgency, or scope. […]
“Research shows that up to nine out of 10 adults in the western world suffer back pain at some point in their lives. Only colds and flu beat low back problems when it comes to the most common reasons for visiting a general doctor or taking time off work,” says Mark Alexander, inventor of BakBalls, a self-help device […]
Chris Johnson isn’t your typical HR leader—and that’s his superpower. As Senior Vice President and General Manager of Employer Services at Equifax Workforce Solutions, Johnson leads a team dedicated to providing HR professionals with people-driven, data-powered solutions. His goal? Take the heavy lifting out of HR compliance so employers can spend less time on administration and […]
by Katrina Messier While I can’t say that I didn’t see this layoff coming, I didn’t think it would happen as soon as it did. I was laid off October 31, 2015, from a job in the restaurant industry where I was the V.P. of Human Resources for more than 16 years. What I didn’t […]
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, […]
Lawyers like to talk about picky legal points, says attorney Jeffrey Wortman, but the real bottom line for most legal cases is fairness. Juries—and sometimes judges—are more likely to make a decision based on fair treatment than on legal treatment. It isn’t only in court that you reap the benefits of fairness, Wortman notes. It’s […]