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Are You Seeking Only Gold Medalists?

Every company wants to hire the best and the brightest, the superstars who have achieved the equivalent of gold medals in their careers.

Use summer as a chance to focus on what’s really important

by Dan Oswald Last week, we celebrated the first day of summer. With kids out of school for a few weeks now and the high temperatures we’ve experienced already, it seems like summer started quite a while ago. Either way, summer is here. It’s time for family vacations, afternoons at the ballpark, and concerts in […]

‘You’re Fired’—How to Say It Without Getting Sued

Terminations—they are never going to be an easy job, but no HR manager is going to go long without doing one. At least, says Attorney Julie Moore, you can do them without inviting lawsuits and in a way that makes it easier on you and the employee. Moore’s suggestions for handling the termination talk came […]

How Entrepreneurs Use Flexibility to Attract Top Talent

We talk a lot about the importance of thinking beyond salaries and bonuses to attract top talent. Employees want to have top-notch benefits, as well as a comfortable, friendly work environment. Part of that includes flexibility, such as working from home, generous paid time off (PTO), and more.

Rules need not apply

by Dan Oswald Last month, Ryan Braun, the Milwaukee Brewers star who was the 2011 National League MVP, was hit with a 65-game suspension that ended his season for his use of banned substances provided by a Miami clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs to Major League Baseball players. This was after he had […]

Of Acorns and Oaks

Litigation Value: No liability (or sales leads) “per se.” However, the seeds of workplace discord have been planted, leaving open the possibility that they will take root and blossom into future legal problems. Sales personnel are lording it over their non-sales counterparts; protégés are maligning their once-valued mentors; and even the simple act of borrowing […]

Train Your Managers to Be Winning Coaches

To recap the coaching training exercise: This exercise is intended for all supervisors. Its objective is to review basic information about coaching. Instruct trainees to complete the work sheet below. Then discuss the results as a group and answer any questions. 1. Briefly define “coaching.” __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 2. Identify three purposes of coaching. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ […]

Time for California employers to be ready for $10 minimum wage

by Elizabeth J. Boca The minimum wage in California will increase from $9 to $10 an hour as of January 1. Employers must understand that paying the higher minimum wage alone doesn’t satisfy their obligations because the upcoming increase will spark a domino effect in various compliance areas.  Exempt “white-collar” employees. Each time the state […]

Reducing Pension Costs in Canada During Hard Times

The recent decline in financial markets has caused Canadian pension plans to become significantly underfunded. For instance, in Québec close to 97 percent of all defined benefit pension plans are currently underfunded. As this continues, many employers may look for ways to reduce pension costs or at least offset increases of those costs. Such losses […]