Most Popular

Big Bang Promotions, Execution, and Carve-Outs

In yesterday’s Advisor, consultantsMyrna Hellerman CCP and Jim Kochanski  discussed how Big Bang companies broke out of sameness; today, their take on carve-outs and promotions, plus an introduction to a unique 10-minutes-at-a-time training system for your managers and supervisors. Hellerman and Kochanski, who are Sr. Vice Presidents at Sibson Consulting, offered their tips at WorldatWork’s […]

Stricter workplace smoking law taking effect in California

by Jim Brown Sedgwick LLP A new law expanding smoking restrictions in California workplaces is set to take effect on January 1. State law previously restricted smoking in places of employment based on “enclosed space” areas. In addition to requiring signage, California Labor Code Section 6404.5 provided a list of exceptions or exemptions from the […]

Quebec City shootings: What can we learn from this tragedy?

By Brian Smeenk Six innocent men were shot in the back while praying in a Quebec City mosque on January 29. The apparently racially motivated act of violence makes us all pause to reflect. How could this happen? In a peaceful city like that? In a peaceful country like Canada? What is happening in our […]

Retirement Plans: You Could Be Sued If You Don’t Tell Workers About Changes You’re Considering But Haven’t Yet Adopted

When changing retirement plans, employers sometimes don’t notify employees until all the details are in place. But a new case makes it clear that if you don’t let workers in on your plans earlier, you could face an expensive lawsuit. Employer Enhances Early Retirement Benefits In a workforce reduction, IBM offered workers two early retirement […]

A How-To List for Building a Culture of Respect

By Susan W. Kline Experienced HR professionals know that, generally speaking, an employee has no viable claim for sexual harassment unless her workplace has become “hellish.” Nonetheless, savvy employers will take action long before offensive behavior adds up to an actionable claim of sexual (or racial or religious) harassment. By focusing on inappropriate behavior and […]

Fighting distraction at work: Must concentration fall victim to collaboration?

HR professionals devote a lot of energy to fostering efficiency, productivity, and employee engagement. But is the effort from HR a waste if office design makes it difficult or impossible for employees to concentrate?  Sometimes offices designed with collaboration in mind—large open spaces with few sound-and-sight-killing walls—also invite distraction. So the question becomes how can […]

Make the Best Use of Your Training Tools

Thorough and effective employee training is recognized as a major key to achieving not only compliance with OSHA and other regulations but also the protection of the company’s assets and the workers themselves. Therefore, the managers, supervisors, and safety professionals involved in the training effort should seek to find and use the best tools for […]

Tips for Minimizing Risk When Cutting Labor Costs

by Mark Wiletsky Although we’re beginning to see signs of an economic recovery, many organizations are still grappling with how to stay competitive in this challenging environment. Layoffs, furloughs, and other methods used to cut personnel costs are often part of the equation. But the savings gained by those cost-cutting measures can be lost if […]

Lessons from Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Monday, our nation celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s appropriate that we celebrate the life of this great American for all he did to positively impact life in our great country. A peek into Dr. King’s life and his pursuit of civil rights reveals that he can be a great role model for […]