Month: August 2008

Make Job Descriptions Do More than Describe a Job

Reviewing our records recently, we found a provocative article on job descriptions by Shelburne, Vermont, consultant Scott Delman, author of “How to Mean Business, Water Cooler Wisdom” and other books. Good things bear repeating … and sharing. So let’s share some of his thoughts with you now. Job descriptions are all too frequently written like […]

Say It Right the First Time

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka reviews the book Say It Right the First Time by Loretta Malandro. Review describes Malandro’s tips for how to manage  and communicate emotionally charged people. In Say It Right the First Time Malandro talks about how to have hard conversations and improve your motivational techniques by improving communication. The section […]

13 Inexpensive–but Effective–Employee Motivators

Retention and productivity are always challenges, especially with budgets shaved to the bone. So here are 13 tips on beating the budget crunch from BLR’s 99 Ways to Keep Employees Happy, Satisfied, Motivated and Productive, by noted HR author Peter R. Garber. 1. Have a Family Day at Work An employee’s family provides critically important […]

Beware Liability When Workers Talk on Phone While Driving

by Karen Sargeant former of McCarthy Tetrault We have all heard the statistics (and it’s no surprise!) — driving while talking on a cell phone increases the likelihood of a car accident even if you use a “hands-free” set. At the same time, your employees have cell phones, iPhones, BlackBerries(R) and other personal data assistants […]

Benefits Denials Scrutinized When Plan Administrator Plays Dual Role

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the level of scrutiny courts must apply when an employee challenges a denial of benefits and the plan administrator, whether the employer or an insurance company, played the dual role of determining whether the employee was eligible for benefits and paying benefits out of its own pocket.1 The […]

Is Work/life Balance the New Retention Solution?

Demographics and generational attitudes are coming together to make substantial flexibility demands on employers. That’s why work/life balance, once a nice-to-talk-about concept, has moved to the front burner in many organizations. Boomers have the skills you want to retain, but these days they want more time off. Gen X and Gen Y workers, similarly skillful, […]