Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Jimmy Daniel 75% of careers are derailed for reasons related to emotional competencies, including inability to handle interpersonal problems; unsatisfactory team leadership during times of difficulty or conflict; or inability to adapt to change or elicit trust. —The Center for Creative Leadership It does not matter what your IQ is or how smart you […]
by Kevin C. McCormick Maryland’s new Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, which takes effect on October 1, will prohibit employers from providing less than favorable employment opportunities to or discriminating against employees by paying different rates based on their sex or gender identity. Under the new law, which was signed by Governor Lawrence Hogan […]
After forming an ad hoc committee called the “Committee for a Level Playing Field for Union Elections,” three U.S. retailer giants announced an alternative to the controversial Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Starbucks Corp., Costco Wholesale Corp., and Whole Foods Market, Inc., outlined six principles they believe represent a compromise between business and labor interests. […]
We recently reported on a new federal Ninth Circuit ruling that you can be liable if a client sexually harasses an employee and you don’t take adequate steps to remedy the problem. Now, for the first time, a California jury has weighed in on harassment by non-employees, and the case has a different twist. The […]
Yesterday, we discussed how to attract and retain women professionals and identified having a woman-friendly brand as essential to your efforts. But how exactly do you establish a woman-friendly brand in today’s noisy marketplace?
A still-unfolding Hollywood squabble has a few lessons on how to end employment relationships. Actress sues over nonrenewal Touchstone Television Productions hired Nicollette Sheridan to appear in the first season of Desperate Housewives. Its contract gave Touchstone the exclusive option to renew her services each year for an additional six seasons. On exercising its renewal […]
By Michael Jordan, MagnaCare Self-insurance has become an essential cost-control strategy for a number of large plan sponsors. Today, a growing number of small and midsize plan sponsors also recognize the opportunity to rein in staggering health coverage costs by switching from a fully funded plan to a self-insured plan.
With the economy still slumping, many employers are looking for creative ways to cut costs. You may be tempted to force some of your older employees to retire—but this strategy could land you in an expensive age-bias lawsuit. That’s because, under state and federal law, pushing older workers out the door is OK in only […]
Employee handbooks present a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they serve a useful purpose in advising employees of key policies and procedures so they know what is expected of them. On the other hand, if they’re improperly drafted, they can be construed as binding contracts that, if not followed to the letter by the […]
We’re trying to revise our travel reimbursement policies, and we need some help. We’re trying to simplify. Can we pay a per diem? Meanwhile, we’d rather just pay employees a set amount more in salary and not hassle at all with receipts and vouchers for every little thing. I understand that there’s a case now […]