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Where Are Your Pants?

The dress code was relaxed at a Canadian Google campus when staffers decided to lose half of their wardrobe for No Pants Day.

GINA violations: Acquiring, using, or disclosing employee genetic information

How does the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) protect genetic information? "Under GINA, under Title II, it is unlawful for an employer to acquire, use, or disclose an employee's genetic information." Ruth N. Mackey explained in a recent BLR webinar. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the ways an employer can […]

Telecommuting and Dress Codes (Survey of 2,000 HR Pros)

In yesterday’s Advisor, we featured survey results (from 2032 participants) on standard and nonstandard perks. Today, data on telecommuting and dress codes, plus demographic data concerning survey participants. [For the beginning of the survey report, go here.] Telecommuting Formal telecommuting guidelines are in place and employees are required to sign a formal agreement for 23.8%. […]

Performance Appraisals—What’s Really Happening?

Please participate in our brief survey and see how what you are doing stacks up against what other successful companies are doing. We’ll get answers to these questions and more: How often are appraisals conducted? What specific characteristics/abilities/behaviors do you measure? If you use software, which software program do you use? How is your performance […]

Are Your Workers Trained to Trim Trees Safely?

In November 2013, a 42-year-old employee of a real estate company was struck and killed by a large section of a 60-foot (ft)-tall eucalyptus tree he was helping to remove from the employer’s property. Cal/OSHA investigated the incident and found that neither he nor any of the other construction laborers employed by the company had […]

Benefits and Perks Survey Says … How Do You Compare?

Benefits often make a real difference in attraction and retention. Here’s how you compare on perks from health insurance to stock options to paid vacation. Highlights of our 2014 Perks Survey of over 2,000 employers: The number one perk is paid holidays. Also in the top five: life insurance, LTD, STD, and paid vacation. For […]

How trusting are employees? Study finds good, bad news for employers

Ever wonder how much employees trust their employers? Ever wonder if trust is even important? A new study from the American Psychological Association (APA) shows reason to worry about the level of trust workers have in their employers. As to the question of whether it’s important that workers trust their employers, the researchers say a […]