Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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 […]
BYOD, which stands for "bring your own device," is becoming an increasingly more popular plan in the workplace. It can provide employers an added connection to their workforce, allowing employees to efficiently address important matters quicker than in the past. Allowing access to the employer's network via the employee's own personal devices may result in greater overall efficiency and productivity, fewer electronic devices for the employee to keep track of, and the ability to use the most up-to-date devices and features if they choose.
The world seems to be changing at a faster rate every single day, and employees are taking the brunt of the change, and fearing for the future. Job loss is rampant, economic uncertainty looms around every corner, and no one truly knows if their same job will be around tomorrow. So, how do leaders guide […]
Given the recent state of the economy, most employers have been more concerned with how to conduct effective layoffs than with avoiding mistakes in the hiring process. Yet as the economy gradually (if fitfully) shows signs of improvement, companies need to prepare to hire again. Are you ready?
President-Elect Barack Obama has chosen former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle as his Secretary of Health and Human Services and health care czar. Daschle lays out his ideas about how to fix the ailing U.S. health care system in his book Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis, which was published in February […]
The holiday season can bring out the best—and worst—in workers. Over the past few years, we’ve reported on Strange but True! holiday stories making the news, such as employees behaving badly at company parties, a survey of the most unusual gifts for coworkers, secret Santa in the Senate and, last but not least, Santa getting […]
Although the disability provisions of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) were modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the two laws have some key differences—and the California rules provide greater protection for disabled employees. We’ll tell you about a new ruling from a federal court in San Francisco that focuses on […]
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 […]
Discipline. Aside from performance appraisals, it’s probably the most neglected, most-often-put-off job in management. Managers and supervisors hate to deliver discipline, but delay is disaster. “I’ll ignore it—Let’s see if Jack will improve on his own.” Jack is a longtime employee, a copywriter in Jill’s Marketing Department. During the past several months, he’s been coming […]
I recently returned from a meeting where one expert recommended doing a Google search on applicants as part of the evaluation process. He said you often find very interesting things about people, especially if they blog or have their own website. Someone else thought it might be an invasion of privacy, and others objected that […]