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Our Motto: ‘Customer Service Is Job 2’

Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts on customer service in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. Recently, my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, says Oswald. My gift to her was a trip to the Caribbean for a few days. That’s 5 days without kids! In our world, that doesn’t happen […]

Unemployment Benefits Denied for ‘No-Call/No-Show’ Employee

The Michigan Court of Appeals recently upheld an Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) decision categorically disqualifying employees who are “no call, no shows” for three consecutive days from receiving jobless benefits under the Michigan Employment Security Act’s (MESA) voluntary-leaving provision.

Training employees to eliminate unconscious bias

by Matthew A. Lafferman Everyone has unconscious or subconscious preferences. Generally, we all prefer to associate or socialize with people who share our background and interests. As a consequence, we often aren’t aware of our preferences, identifying our behavior only when it’s pointed out by someone else. Unfortunately, we carry our hidden biases into the […]

guidelines

To Avoid COVID-19 Liability, Institute Proper Protocols

As businesses reopen after the lifting of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, employers are grasping with how to make their workplaces as safe as possible for their employees. Making the task especially difficult are the constant changes in government regulations deeming certain businesses as essential and limiting the extent to which they may operate.

Well-being

Training: One Way to Tackle Weight Discrimination at Work

Imagine two résumés showing equally desirable qualifications. One belongs to a thin applicant and the other to an applicant viewed as overweight. Which candidate gets the job? An even more intriguing question: What if the heavier applicant had a more impressive résumé than the thinner candidate? Which candidate would get the job in that case?

Recent Job Market Reversals Illustrate Dynamic Nature of Hiring

The recent challenges faced by many businesses across the country in finding qualified staff, particularly relative to the glut of available labor less than 15 years ago, highlights the dynamic nature of the American labor market and demonstrates the importance for an active and dynamic human resources approach to the hiring process. “Following the 2008/2009 […]

What Tips Does Marissa Mayer Have for HR Managers in the New Year?

While she works for a “Silicon Valley” company, the Yahoo CEO’s experiences (some would say exploits) over the past year offer some lessons and some challenges for every HR manager. The act that gained her the most notoriety was her rule that all employees must report to work at the physical office—no more telecommuting. The […]

HR Tech Is the Key: Here’s How to Get It Right

Technology has always played an integral role in business operations—and even more so now that many of us continue to work remotely. With this, organizations across industries are over-inundated with technology applications, services, and products that claim to streamline operations. From Microsoft® Teams to Zoom to Slack, these technologies offer benefits for many but at […]

New Orleans ‘Ban the Box’ Ordinance Takes Effect March 1

New Orleans, Louisiana, is joining the ranks of cities and states “banning the box” from its job applications. The city’s new ordinance takes effect March 1 and prohibits the city and its contractors from asking job applicants about their criminal history on initial employment applications. The measure also mandates that criminal background checks can be […]

Train Your People to Avoid Age Discrimination

Q. Who is covered by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)? A. The ADEA covers all employers with 20 employees or more and applies to all employees and job applicants aged 40 or over. Q. What employment actions are prohibited by the ADEA? A. The ADEA prohibits age discrimination in any term or condition […]