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Is Social Awkwardness a Valid Reason to Terminate an Employee?

When it comes to uncomfortable situations, some people gravitate more toward the “awkward turtle” end of the spectrum than the “social butterfly.” When an ill-timed joke costs an employee her job, however, is she entitled to unemployment benefits?

How an Internal Auditor Transformed HR

Having conducted nearly 60 “Faces of HR” interviews, I have spoken with people who came from every imaginable discipline before moving into HR. That’s part of what makes HR so resilient and capable—its people’s diverse backgrounds. Today’s guest comes from internal auditing, and in many ways, that puts her in a unique position to transform […]

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The Importance of Capturing Institutional Knowledge

Ever wish you could just download everything your employees know or transfer their knowledge of company and customer history to their teams or successors? This idea of transferring knowledge is called capturing institutional knowledge. Employees gain more and more institutional knowledge the longer they remain in an organization and with increasing responsibilities and an increasing […]

Bippity Boppity Give Darryl the Zoppity

Next on our list of possible candidates for Michael Scott’s recently vacated position is Darryl Philbin, also known as “Mittah Rogers” (but only by Michael). Darryl has come a long way since we first met him in Season 1 as he watched Dwight suddenly emerge from a box in the warehouse. Here’s my list of pros and cons for […]

3 Key Aspects of Leadership Training for the Modern World

To recap: Roselinde Torres, senior partner of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and leadership expert in its People & Organization practice, says that “There are some aspects of leadership that are timeless, like vision, intelligence, good judgment, courage, ambition, and integrity. However, the hierarchical, inward-focused leadership style that defined the 20th century is unraveling. The […]

Have ‘Stranger’ Leaves Been Approved? FMLA Lessons from Netflix

While binge-watching everyone’s nostalgic guilty pleasure, Netflix’s Stranger Things, I could not help but empathize with single mother Joyce Byers (played by actress Winona Ryder). Her prepubescent son, Will (Noah Schnapp), was abducted by a monster (the Demogorgon) and sent to a parallel universe (the Upside Down) populated by dog-like monsters. During Will’s disappearance, apparent […]

Employee Fired for Excessive Absences After Making Need for FMLA Leave Known

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) prohibits an employer from interfering with an employee’s right to take medical leave. When pursuing such a claim, an employee need not allege the employer intended to deny the benefit, just that it was withheld. The employer’s motives are irrelevant when determining whether interference occurred. Of course, the […]

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How Long Should Transitioning Employees Support Their Old Role?

Managers know that employee personnel assignments are rarely static. Business needs and staffing availability can change frequently, and businesses need the flexibility to move personnel into new roles. Sometimes, this involves hiring a new employee, but often, it involves a promotion or lateral movement for an existing employee.

4 Methods for Becoming a Better Trainer

Do you want to be a better trainer? If you had to rate yourself as a trainer, would you give yourself high marks, or low ones? Would your trainees agree with your self-assessment? In any case, there’s always room for improvement—take a look at these four ways to work towards becoming the best trainer you […]

The Difference Between Knowing How and Knowing Why

A friend of mine likes to say, “People who know How … work for people who know Why.” Think about that for a minute. What’s the difference between knowing How and knowing Why? The people in your company who know How are, no doubt, very important.  In fact, the company can’t operate without them. They’re […]