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Workplace Lessons from Baseball’s Cal Ripkin Jr.

By BLR Editor, Elaine V. QuayleJust My E-pinion With the World Series starting next week, your workers will be watching baseball. But a BLR editor says they can also learn from baseball. As a human resources editor—and baseball fan—I wanted to write about the valuable lessons that HR professionals can glean from Cal Ripken Jr.’s […]

Combat-Ready HR: SPHR-Certified Colonel Shares Tips

By Robert BowenJust My E-pinion Today’s guest columnist, an SPHR-certified former lieutenant colonel, shares how he’s learned to make good use of “command” and “compassionate” people strategies. Robert Bowen, SPHR, Lt. Col. (Ret.), is the HR career coach at HumanResourcesCoaching.com. As human resources professionals, we often find ourselves “switching hats” between two distinct day-to-day roles: […]

New Connecticut law makes wage infractions more dangerous

by John Herrington A new Connecticut law taking effect October 1 requires courts to award double damages plus court costs and attorneys’ fees for most employee wage claims. Under the new law—Public Act 15-86, the “Act Concerning an Employer’s Failure to Pay Wages”—a court must award, as a baseline default, double damages plus court costs […]

S.F. Ordinance Would Expand Flex Time Rights for Childcare

A new city ordinance would require employers doing business in San Francisco to consider flexible scheduling for workers with caregiving responsibilities. The city’s Board of Supervisors passed the Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance Oct. 1, and remains to be signed by the city’s mayor. It would amend the city’s administrative code to allow employees in San Francisco to […]

Terminating Employees: Laid-Off Employee’s Bias Charges Crumble in Face of Employer’s Solid Documentation; 4 Prudent Practices

Economic pressure may be forcing you to cut your workforce. And you may wonder if you can do anything to reduce your legal risks if an employee you’ve targeted for layoff has recently returned from medical leave. As one employer that recently sidestepped an expensive lawsuit learned, the answer may lie in how scrupulous you […]

When HR Risks Multiply, Training Is Essential

By Patricia M. Trainor, J.D.BLR Legal Editor In yesterday’s Advisor, we began our look at the 12 biggest risks for HR in a down economy, as seen by attorney Allison West. Today, we’ll look at the final six of those risks and see how training is the key to avoiding them. West’s suggestions came during […]

Possible Impact of New NLRB on Employers

by Brian R. Garrison By now, most everyone has heard about organized labor’s biggest priority, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) — an unprecedented attempt by labor unions to organize non-union employers. But while the EFCA has garnered the lion’s share of media attention, a recent less publicized change may have a similar impact on […]

Danger: Look What DOL Is Sharing with Your Company’s Friends — and Foes

By Wendi Watts You probably know what your profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn look like. But do you know what your organization’s profile on the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) new online database looks like? Attorney David Fortney recommends every employer check theirs out. On the database’s home page, the DOL states that the site […]