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OSHA Seeks Applications for Training Grants

The program supports the creation of in-person, hands-on training and educational programs and the development of materials for workers and employers in small businesses; industries with high injury, illness and fatality rates; and workers who are underserved, have limited English proficiency, or are temporary workers. The grants will fund training and education for workers and […]

What Employers—and Employees—Can Do to Help Close the Skills Gap

That was among the findings of “The Accenture Skills Gap Study,” an online survey of more than 1,000 employed and unemployed workers recently conducted by Accenture (www.accenture.com). The study also found that 52 percent of survey participants have acquired technology skills in the past 5 years, but significantly smaller percentages have updated their problem-solving skills […]

Retroactivity for Same-gender Spouses Goes Back to June 2013

IRS on April 4 said rules that do not distinguish between same- and opposite-gender married couples in tax and federal retirement plan provisions will be in effect retroactive to June 26, 2013. This date is when the U.S. Supreme Court held in U.S. v. Windsor, S. Ct. 2675 (2013) that the lack of recognition of […]

Profit at the Bottom of the Ladder

In her book Profit at the Bottom of the Ladder: Creating Value by Investing in Your Workforce, Canadian researcher Jody Heymann analyzes hundreds of interviews with front line employees to C-suite executives and concludes that your company can profit more from improving worker conditions than cutting wages, benefits, and other workforce expenses. As an example […]

Retirees Win Right to Sue for Fund Mismanagement

In a major ruling, the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that employees who retire and receive lump-sum distributions from their company’s defined-contribution plan, such as a 401(k), have the right to sue the administrators of the plan if they don’t believe their moneys were managed wisely. As our population ages and our economy […]

Can employer use subjective criteria to evaluate workers during probationary period?

by Paul Côté-Lépine There is sometimes uncertainty surrounding the proper scope of evaluation for a probationary employee. Is an employer limited to relying on neutral, objective criteria, or can the employer also consider subjective criteria? According to a Quebec arbitrator in Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal (SCFP, section locale 301) c. Montréal (Ville […]

Second City Says Humor Drives Engagement in Workforce Training

The stellar alumni list includes many of the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” (Akyroyd, Belushi, Murray, and Radner), as well as Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jane Lynch, and Steve Carrell of “The Office.” But now, the organization has branched out into workplace training, using humor to engage participants, of course. “Humor gets people […]

Political Comments Can Land Employers in Hot Water

With less than a month to go before the 2012 election, political passions are peaking. In a close race, some employers may be tempted to try to influence how their employees vote. It’s not a rare occurrence. Four years ago, a Maryland construction executive happened to mention during the course of an interview with me […]