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Chronically Ill Spouse Is No Excuse for Poor Work Performance in Association Discrimination Claim

Recently, an employee argued in an association discrimination claim that he was fired because his employer feared he would be distracted at work by his wife’s disability. That excuse didn’t pan out, because in fact the employer was just fed up with the individual’s poor performance, making it a legitimate employment termination. So in a […]

Ideas for Surviving Sitcom Purgatory

I feel like I’m trapped in sitcom purgatory, stuck between The Office episodes of yesteryear and the glorious Scranton Promised Land where James Spader reigns supreme as the new branch manager. If you are like me, and find the combination of August heat and reruns to be oppressive at times, I have the following suggestions. […]

Open and Honest Communication

People want to know what’s going on where they work. They want to know what the organization is trying to accomplish — the mission thing. They want to know how the business is going to get there — the vision thing.  And, most of all, they want to know how the company is doing at […]

Court Upholds $923,656 Back-Pay Award

On May 31, the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision awarding $923,656 in back pay to a terminated employee of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), an agency of the U.S. government. The decision shows the damages available to employees that prove retaliation based on the filing of an Equal Employment […]

‘Too Much time Wasted on Manure,’ Says Reader

By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR Editor, HR Daily Advisor Our recent e-pinion from Dan Oswald about “what to do with employees who hate each other’ sparked considerable interest from readers, so much so that now there’s a second wave of comments to share. Most of the comments react to the question of whether it makes […]

Social Media: Used Not Just to ‘Friend’, but to Hire

“Should employers be allowed to screen job candidates based on their online behavior even if their actions are not pertinent to t he listed job?” That was the query today from Washington Post financial columnist Michelle Singletary. For human resources (HR) staff, this is not a theoretical question; it’s a very real struggle. The brave […]

Worst Mistake #3: Wage/Hour Missteps

In yesterday’s CED, we covered the first two “Worst Mistakes” your managers are making. Today, #3 on the list — plus an introduction to a webinar next week that can help you solve it.

How I Sold Flex to Management

Yesterday’s Advisor showed that flexibility is a business imperative. Today, real-world tips on selling flex to management, plus the unique 10-minutes-at-a-time HR training system. DeVry’s CEO was skeptical, says the Nancy Johnson, Sr. Director Talent Management, but most managers were supportive, and ultimately she did sell management on flex. Johnson shared her flex tips at […]