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What Are You Afraid Of? (Childhood Taunt or Manager’s Advice?)

It sounds like a childhood taunt. “What are you afraid of?” If you close your eyes for a minute, chances are you can go back in time and recall a situation in which you were asked that exact question. Someone was trying to push you into doing something you really didn’t want to do—daring you […]

Soft Stuff (Rubber Chickens, Anyone?) Gets Results

Speaking about his unique recognition programs, Yum! Brands Chairman and CEO David Novak says, “Soft stuff gets hard results.” He ought to know, as he’s in charge of recognizing 1.4 million associates in more than 40,000 KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell restaurants in 125 countries.

Workplace communication: It’s more than just talking

Everybody knows the importance of effective communication in the workplace. Achieving it, though, can be tricky. Some people speak without listening. Others find themselves too distracted to understand what someone else is trying to say. Written communication often gets bogged down in jargon and misinterpreted. And those are just some of the problems that can […]

5 More Tips on How to Train Supervisors to Administer FMLA

How do you deal with the supervisor who appears to be on a “personal crusade” to “eradicate all Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) abuse”? What about the supervisor who likes to pretend he doesn’t know that FMLA leave exists? Read on to find out. 1. Prohibit negative comments about FMLA leave both in general […]

Conciliate First, Court Tells EEOC as it Tosses out Lawsuit

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may not sue an employer unless it has engaged in pre-litigation conciliation — even for pattern or practice claims — a federal district court has held. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Oct. 7 dismissed an EEOC suit alleging that CVS Pharmacy’s separation agreement violated […]

Voters to decide on Anchorage collective bargaining ordinance

by Tom Daniel When voters in Anchorage go to the polls in November, they will decide the fate of a local ordinance that reins in the collective bargaining rights of municipal employees. A referendum to repeal the local ordinance known as the Responsible Labor Act will be part of the November 4 ballot. The ordinance, […]

Why Your Important Positions Are Going Unfilled … and What to Do About It

It would seem that millions of available potential employees should make vacant positions easy and quick to fill, but that’s simply not the case lately. Here are some of the top reasons that some roles go unfilled: Unemployment has decreased substantially. This means there are fewer individuals applying for any given position. By default, this […]