Search Results for: AGING WORKFORCE

Another Bad Hire? Train Your Managers to Avoid Common—and Disastrous—Hiring Mistakes

Yesterday’s Advisor  featured six of Susan M. Heathfield’s top eight “rookie” mistakes that even seasoned hiring managers make. Today we’ll cover the final two mistakes plus introduce a unique new training system that helps all your managers avoid expensive miscues. If you have not identified your critical needs, and how to screen for them, you’ll […]

What to Do When You ‘Hear It Through the Grapevine’

When you get hints of inappropriate activity (e.g., a boss “hitting” on a subordinate or racial teasing) but no evidence, no corroboration, and no complaint, should you act? Yes, says today’s expert. The bottom line is that, when faced with a “hint” of inappropriate activity, you absolutely should act, says attorney Thomas N. Makris, SPHR. […]

Diversity Programs: Not Just About “Soft” Skills

Diversity programs have moved beyond sensitivity training. A new survey of more than 2,500 senior HR and training executives revealed a wide variety of diversity initiatives and program elements. The most common? Leadership development. “Just a few years ago, diversity programs usually meant just awareness training. Those programs were separate from other hard and soft […]

Downsizing: Plan Ahead to Avoid Trouble

by Gary Fealk Downsizing can be an effective strategy for building a more efficient organization going forward. But it can also lead to legal liability and may not accomplish the desired cost savings unless an employer implements a carefully considered plan. HR Guide to Employment Law: A practical compliance reference manual covering 14 topics, including […]

Fairness—Not Legal Technicalities—Counts with Employees … and Juries

Lawyers like to talk about picky legal points, says attorney Jeffrey Wortman, but the real bottom line for most legal cases is fairness. Juries—and sometimes judges—are more likely to make a decision based on fair treatment than on legal treatment. It isn’t only in court that you reap the benefits of fairness, Wortman notes. It’s […]

Avoiding Legal Pitfalls During RIFs and When Reducing Workers’ Hours

by John Vering On Oct. 3, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ reported that over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed has increased by 2.2 million and the unemployment rate has risen by 1.4 percentage points. Total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 159,000 in September and thus far in 2008, payroll employment has […]

Telecommuting Might Be the Answer for Workers Who Change Their Retirement Plans

by Mark Schickman Look around your workplace, and you will see baby boomers who are rethinking their retirement plans. They have had their anniversary date in 2010 circled on their calendars for a decade, they have bought their retirement condo, and they have calculated the rate of investment return that allows their retirement fund to […]

Nepotism and Its Dangers in the Workplace

Workers who are the most innovative or productive or those who possess visionary leadership are inevitably propelled to the top. That’s the image many of us have of the workplace. In reality, the practice of favoring and promoting relatives or paramours, more commonly known as nepotism, is widely practiced in companies large and small across […]

Words That Might Sound Like Age Discrimination

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of age discrimination claims. In fact, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), age discrimination charges rose by approximately 15 percent in fiscal year 2007. Many observers attribute that trend to the fact that more employees are choosing to work longer and […]

Two Big Age Bias Settlements—and 3 Lawsuit Prevention Tips

Several new age bias settlements have hit the California headlines. Electronics retailer Best Buy will pay $17,500 to settle a lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of a 68-year-old job applicant who contended he was denied employment because of his age. According to the suit, Reinhold Schouweiler was rejected for a […]