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Would Any HR Professional Pick One of These Candidates to Be CEO of the USA?

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Next Tuesday’s Pennsylvania primary may finalize the field for the upcoming presidential election. But would any of these candidates pass a CEO interview? And what would you ask? Let us know and we’ll publish your replies. Our presidential selection system is a disaster—and a thing of beauty. Hundreds […]

In Your Facebook: Routine or Risky?

Yesterday’s Advisor covered reasons why HR managers should avoid Internet background checks using Google, Facebook, MySpace, and other websites. But that’s not the end of the story. In our last issue, an HR expert cautioned managers to avoid Internet background checks of potential hires. Legally, she’s right. Realistically, HR people are doing them anyway. The […]

Race Bias Charges and Lawsuits Result in Costly Settlements

A federal judge recently granted final approval of a settlement resolving a class action race bias lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against Walgreens Co., the nation’s largest drugstore chain. Under the settlement, Walgreens will pay over $24 million to approximately 10,000 African-American workers who charged they were discriminated against in […]

Death To All Sacred Cows

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka reviews the book Death To All Sacred Cows: How Successful Business People Put the Old Rules Out to Pasture by Bill Schwab. Review highlights book theory about how email does not always save and tips for effective use of email. I just finished reading a really funny book, Death to […]

Hiring Based on Internet Searches: Are You Dodging the Bullet or Becoming the Target?

If you rejected a candidate because of information you found on the Internet, did you dodge the bullet of a bad hire or make yourself the target of a big ticket lawsuit? Here’s one expert’s advice. Doing a Google® search on a job applicant—it’s sooo tempting. Facebook®, MySpace® and a dozen other sites are just […]

Great California Workplaces: California Pacific Medical Center Invests in Its Employees; Winning Strategies

California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco is this year’s winner of our 2007 Great California Workplaces Award in the nonprofit category. Like most hospitals, it faces a difficult challenge of attracting and retaining qualified employees: Healthcare professionals—especially nurses—have many options in today’s job market, and they’ll go where they can best utilize their […]

Great California Workplaces: Quality and Sustainability Drive Lundberg Family Farms’ Winning Commitment to Its Employees

Lundberg Family Farms is a family-owned-and-operated business in Richvale that produces and markets high-quality organic rice and rice products using environmentally friendly farming processes. Lundberg uses sustainable methods that protect the land and other natural resources for future generations, from the field to all aspects of production and marketing. This commitment to care and quality […]

McDonald’s Fails to Accommodate Employee Unable to Wash Hands

by Daniel Pugen and Earl G. Phillips McCarthy Tetrault In Canada, human rights legislation provides that employers have a duty to accommodate disabled workers unless such accommodation would cause “undue hardship” on the employer. A recent case involving McDonald’s Restaurants before the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal illustrates the high standard of accommodation expected of […]

‘I Didn’t Know You Wanted Me Here Every Day!’

Yesterday’s issue emphasized the necessity of sharing your attendance expectations with employees. Here are the key points that BLR’s popular 10-Minute HR Trainer suggests you stress in employee training on attendance. 1. Employer Expectations Regarding Attendance Regular attendance is a requirement of every employee’s job. It is important because: High absenteeism rates reduce productivity. Absenteeism […]

9 Rules for Dealing with Attendance Problems

Every organization has them—employees who push every attendance policy to the extremes. Here are 9 ways to put a stop to their shenanigans. The vast majority of supervisors’ day-to-day HR problems relate to attendance, says Bob Gibson, blogging on Fedsmith.com But too many managers tend to be casual about it. That won’t work, says Gibson. Managers […]