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Even the C-Suite Can Understand Why Wellness Works

The wellness agenda is surprisingly uncluttered, says Dr. W. Smith Chandler in California Employment Law Answers.  We can break it down, he says, by asking a simple question: “Why do people die?” The answer is not as complex as people think, Chandler maintains. He explains that 40 percent of all Americans die of cardiovascular diseases, […]

ISS Losing Influence on Say-on-Pay? Not So

During the 2011 proxy season, shareholders seemed to be less influenced by ISS on say on pay, says Fichthorn, vice president in the Philadelphia office of Hay Group. He was joined in his presentation at a recent BLR/HRhero webinar by Martin Somelofske, a senior principal in Hay Group’s Metro New York office. Only a handful […]

DOL Test for Classifying Interns as Unpaid

Unpaid internships can be mutually beneficial for students and employers: students receive invaluable workplace experience and employers benefit from the opportunity to begin training the next generation of talent. However, you must be aware of the distinction between paid and unpaid internships. Internships in the for-profit, private sector will most often be viewed as employment […]

Job Descriptions—One Common Mistake

Well-developed written job descriptions are essential to the hiring process, for two reasons, says attorney Susan Fahey Desmond: They assist you in clarifying what skills or traits you expect an applicant to meet They help you to defend yourself in court should you be sued over your hiring decision. We found details in BLR/HRhero’s HR […]

Critical HR Policies—What Are Best Practice Companies Doing?

For years, BLR® has surveyed HR and compensation/benefits professionals to find trends in policy and practice. We appreciate your participation in our series of brief, targeted surveys. Today’s survey topic: HR Policies. (We’ll publish the results in a future issue.) Please participate in this brief survey and we’ll determine what employers are doing with this […]

Why consultants give consultants a bad name

I consider myself reasonably open to new ideas and exploring new opportunities, but the other day when a financial consultant began questioning some things we have and have not done in our business I felt my temperature begin to rise. I must admit it was my idea to take this consultant and his colleague to […]

Could taking on unpaid summer interns lead to trouble under the FLSA?

Unpaid internships are viewed universally as great opportunities for students to acquire valuable job skills and experience. In fact, experiential learning opportunities provide students with a leg-up on those competing for jobs right out of college. However, warns Evelyn Gentry, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, there are downsides for employers that use unpaid interns, the most […]

Financially stressed employees pulling down productivity

By Tammy Binford A new employee group has begun showing up vividly on employer radar screens. It’s not defined by race, religion, gender, or any of the other familiar legally protected classes. The new group commanding the attention of employers is made up of workers suffering extreme stress brought on by extreme debt. It’s always […]

Disability etiquette: It should be common courtesy

By Marcia Akers The rules of etiquette define those behaviors that are socially acceptable under particular circumstances. It is not a crime of legal consequence if these unwritten, but widely accepted, standards of proper behavior are broken, but anyone not adhering to them may be ridiculed or ostracized. The Disability Rights Movement popularized the expression […]

EEOC issues new guidance concerning employment of veterans with disabilities

By Diane M. Pietraszewski The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued two pieces of revised guidance focusing on the employment rights of disabled veterans under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). One of the documents, titled “Veterans and the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for Employers,” is directed at employers. The other document […]