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Keep It Simple Stupid

Finding simple answers to complicated questions

A great man once said, “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” The man credited for uttering those words? Dr. Seuss. But how right was the author of those wonderful children’s books? In my estimation, he hit the nail on the head. I was on the phone the other day with a […]

The 10 Times You Should Offer a Signing Bonus

Can I offer a bonus? Should I offer a bonus? How big should it be? Confusion often reigns, says Csizmar, who is founder and principal of CMC Compensation Group. Sign-On Bonuses Are Like Wallpaper Csizmar says the sign-on bonus is wallpaper used to cover cracks in the employment offer. It says, We know our offer […]

Facebook can be an unfriendly place

by Sara Parchello While the summer has come and gone, employees’ photos of their summer activities may not be. If employees post those photos on Facebook or similar sites, employers may be confronted with just what employees did with their time over the summer. And what if, on a day an employee called in sick, […]

Technology can make the workplace more accessible to the disabled

by Tammy Binford It’s natural to question what the future will bring to the workplace. How many more resources will the Internet make available? What new apps have the potential to revolutionize the world of work? How will technology enable employees to overcome disabilities? The questions – and answers – seem limitless as technology advances […]

The most homogenous place on Earth?

by Mark I. Schickman Remembering that employment discrimination has been illegal for less than 50 years, workplace accommodation has come a long way. The first accommodation laws protected people with cancer, back when cancer was feared to be contagious. The law was put to the test when it was applied to protect people infected with […]

“Deferred action” policy now in place for immigrant youth

by Elaine Young President Barack Obama recently announced a new immigration enforcement policy that opens new doors to thousands of immigrant youths. An estimated 800,000 young people have graduated from American high schools but aren’t authorized to work in the United States because they are here unlawfully. The new policy gives them a degree of […]

Ex-EEOC employee met requirements to pursue disability claim against agency

by Nancy Williams Just as private-sector workers are required to file an administrative charge of discrimination before filing a lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, federal employees also have prefiling requirements. In a disability discrimination case against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the 9th Circuit recently decided that the […]

Pinpoint Compensation Problems Before They Turn into Lawsuits

Special from Atlanta—SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition Regular audits of compensation practices are critical, says Payscale, Inc.’s Stacey Carroll, M.B.A., CCP, SPHR. You may find ways to save the company vast amounts of money, and the data you need to do it are already on hand. Check compa-ratios, check external equity, see who’s over the […]

HRAs Not the Only Way to Start a Wellness Program

Health risk assessments and biometrics, while an important source of wellness data, are not always the best place to start when implementing a wellness program, a wellness expert said in a Thompson Interactive webinar. “Think through your culture and what you’ve been doing,” said Brad Cooper, CEO of US Corporate Wellness. Many companies started with […]