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Walking in a Coworker’s Shoes (by Living in Their Home!)

If you have never seen The Holiday, here’s a quick recap (don’t worry—no spoilers.) Two women with men-problems, one in Los Angeles (Cameron Diaz) and another in London (Kate Winslet), decide to change up their lives by swapping homes for the holiday and end up gaining a new perspective on life. What’s the connection to […]

Bill Would Require Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnancy

A new bill would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees just as they do for those with disabilities. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, S. 3565, is modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act and borrows some of its language. In the same way that ADA requires accommodations for workers with disabilities, it […]

Sales Comp—Incentives Aren’t the Problem

You can’t just look at sales compensation, you have to see how it connects and dovetails and links to strategy, says DiMisa. If you are rewarding reps for actions that are not aligned with the strategy, you’re not going to get the response you need from the sales force. Building a Strategy-Based Plan DiMisa who […]

Another shot across the bow: NLRB challenges ‘at-will’ statements

by Jeff Hurt Nonunion employers must be scratching their collective heads over the recent shelling they’ve been getting as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeks to make union organizing easier: proposed labor law posting requirements, “quickie” election rules, and strict limitations on employer social media policies. While some of those initiatives are on hold, […]

Wal-Mart Settles for $ 86 Million? Your Settlement Probably Won’t Be so High

Wal-Mart has settled a lawsuit over unpaid wages to over 200,000 workers that could cost them up to $86 million. Over the past few years, the giant retailer has paid as much as $640 million to settle 63 federal and state class-action lawsuits alleging unpaid wages. And what about your organization? Your settlement costs probably […]

Romney: Repeal and Replace Health Reform Law With More Consumerism, Tax-based Incentives

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney recently provided more details on his own health reform plan, stating that if elected, on his first day in office, says he will issue an executive order for the federal government to issue health reform waivers to all 50 states, and immediately work on repealing the health reform law passed […]

8 Do’s/Don’ts for Work-Ready Job Descriptions

Here are the BLR editors’ do’s and don’ts for worthwhile job descriptions that will really support HR operations. 1. DO give specifics For example, rather than stating that a maintenance worker "keeps up equipment," it is better to spell out the position’s requirements, which might include performing routine maintenance on assembly machines, including adjusting settings; […]

Telecommuting: A Reasonable ADA Accommodation?

You may think that the federal, state and local courts move at a glacial pace, but they often deliberate and resist change of opinion on employment law matters because, well, the modern workplace is a living, breathing, complex organism. Telecommuting is one such complexity, as are the multitude of situations that employers need to consider […]

Telecommuting: A VIP Benefit?

Employees often view the telework option as a form of recognition. They may see it as a privilege earned through good performance. Unfortunately, they also may see the work-life perk — offered to some, but not all — as an entitlement, or worse, they may see lack of telecommuting privileges as an inequity caused by […]

Top 10 employment handbook mistakes

California’s strict and complex employment laws make it more important than ever to have an effective employment handbook. Policies that are clearly written and effectively spell out the rights and responsibilities of both you and your employees can reduce your risk of liability and protect your business. But if you don’t get your employment handbook […]