Month: June 2009

Another Strike Against Wal-Mart in Quebec: Arbitrator Imposes Collective Agreement

For the last five years, two Wal-Mart big-box stores in Quebec have been the subject of certification applications filed by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). The first store to be unionized was located in the town of Jonquière. Wal-Mart decided to close down that operation in 2005 immediately after the union applied […]

The Dangerous First Year for New Supervisors

New supervisors have a lot to learn about managing their people, and that’s to say nothing of the welter of compliance challenges they face. Compassionate but untrained supervisors can quickly create surprisingly expensive liabilities. Today’s Advisor concludes the five critical factors for supervisory success. The ideas are from Jonna Contacos-Sawyer and Polly Heeter Wright. Both […]

Suddenly a Supervisor—5 Critical Factors for Success

New supervisors have a tough transition to make—but if they achieve mastery in five key areas they can be successful, say Jonna Contacos-Sawyer and Polly Heeter Wright. New supervisors tend to be full of energy and forward looking, but also anxious at the same time, says Contacos-Sawyer. They are eager to make a difference for […]

Supreme Court Affirms Arbitration for Union Member Discrimination Claims

A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that clearly and unmistakably require union members to arbitrate age discrimination claims are enforceable. While the decision is unlikely to affect many employers, the ruling is the latest in a series of Supreme Court decisions finding arbitration to be […]

Taxing Health Benefits Could Cause Unintended Consequences

When President Barack Obama’s aides recently showed new openness toward taxing health care benefits to help cover the uninsured, they suggested an area of possible compromise on health reform. The President had opposed taxing the benefits as a candidate. More recently, the mantra of aides has been that although the tax isn’t Obama’s idea, all […]

Legislation Introduced to Revise the FMLA

Apparently, Congress isn’t done expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA.) Just a few weeks ago, two different bills were introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would expand the scope of the Act. FMLA Compliance Manual, including a quarterly compliance bulletin with updates on the FMLA Specifics of proposed legislation On April […]

Short-Term Gain for Long-Term Pain?

There has always been a lot of focus on quarterly earning reports, but given the current economic environment, this corporate ritual has come under even greater scrutiny. Everyone is trying to read the crystal ball and figure out what every little detail means. Sales are down 30% when compared to the same quarter but are […]