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Just My E-pinionBy Brian Jones Guest columnist and management consultant Brian Jones shares a lesson he learned from comedian Conan O’Brien about “ordinary greatness.” One of the side effects of my constant travel schedule is arriving at hotels in new cities late at night. Unable to sleep, I turn on the TV. Late-night TV is […]
Merit increases can help target specific business goals, but as workers take one step forward to claim their reward, make sure they don’t take two steps back. A recent Advisor report on the pay raises employers project for 2007 noted that merit increases for exempt employees will average 3.8 percent, compared with general increases for […]
Figuring out your obligations when an employee asks for an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act can sometimes be complex-and risky. There are no black-and-white rules describing exactly what you’re required to do, especially when the accommodation might involve modifying job duties or adjusting work schedules. But a new court ruling helps set some […]
As companies compete for talent, housing assistance and free medications head a list of alternatives to traditional benefits. Looking for an employee benefit that will dazzle potential recruits and silence the siren song of competitors trying to steal your stars? Forget about bonuses, or a company car or credit card. The hot ticket in this […]
Do your team members know what the ultimate objective is for each project they work on? Do they know what the purpose is—what they’re trying to achieve? Are you confident that you consistently communicate exactly what the goal is for each and every project? Knowing what you, their leader, want to ultimately achieve on every […]
Fiduciary status under ERISA “is not an all-or-nothing concept,” according to a recent federal district court ruling that found BP and its North American unit were not liable for their retirement plan employees’ breaches of fiduciary duty. The lawsuit arose from a BP company stock plan available as investment to plan participants that plunged in […]
BusinessWeek ranks business books that are the most recent bestsellers and provides a short summary. 1. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? Do you feel that you are both a person who gets […]
A recent federal appeals court decision serves as a reminder that communicating with employees about their options for benefits calculation methods in defined benefit retirement plans is a very important aspect of preparing them adequately for retirement. Some DB plans offer more than one way to accumulate assets, and allow participants to choose the method […]
A couple of years ago, a group of employees working for a McDonald’s franchise filed a class action lawsuit in Pennsylvania alleging their employer required them to accept wages in the form of payroll debit cards—with fees for use of the cards assessed by the debit card provider.
I hope I don’t disappoint when I tell you that what you’re about to read isn’t about Tiger Woods, the OctoMom, or anything remotely salacious. Instead, this is about you. Let me share with you a story that Jim Stovall tells in his book You Don’t Have to Be Blind to See. It’s about two […]