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Canadian Court Broadly Defines ‘Constructor’ in Safety Case

By Rosalind Cooper Which party on a construction project is the “constructor”? While some provinces in Canada use this term, other provinces use slightly different terms, such as prime contractor. All are meant to refer to the party at the workplace that has overall responsibility for health and safety on the construction project. It’s generally […]

Why Do Traditional Wellness Programs Fail?

Many wellness programs fail, say experts Lynda F. Jeppesen & Travis Dent, but there is a way to design a program that gets maximum involvement, great payback, and widespread employee appreciation. Jeppesen and Dent made their comments at the SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition held recently in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jeppesen, who is SPHR certified, […]

9 Ways to Reduce FMLA Leave Abuse

We know that FMLA is one of your biggest HR headaches. And intermittent leave abuse just makes your job that much tougher. It’s a problem to be sure, but there is good news. We’ve tallied up the top 9 ways you can limit leave abuse at your company, all while staying compliant. Go to Tip […]

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You Can’t Reason with Crazy

Try this one on for size. A number of years ago, four to be exact, we were enjoying a successful relationship with a company we had contracted with since 1995. By all accounts, the firm was doing a good job for us. In 2007, one of the key people employed by the firm decided to […]

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Former Employee Keeps Reapplying Despite Rejection Letters

by Reggie Gay Q: We have a job applicant who worked for us approximately six years ago. There’s nothing negative in her file, but there were some issues with her job performance. Neither of her former supervisors wants to hire her back. She has applied several times and has received rejection letters, but she keeps […]

Boldest Applicant is the Best Applicant . . . Sometimes

I find it hard to believe that my fellow bloggers have overlooked the most obvious choice for Michael Scott’s replacement: Fred Henry, played by Will Arnett. After all, who else during their interview promised to deliver a plan that would double the branch’s profits? Undoubtedly, Mr. Henry’s strategy was the boldest and most innovative of […]

Family Responsibilities Leave—Best Practice for Employee Engagement?

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Just My E-pinion For years, BLR has surveyed HR and benefits professionals to find trends in benefits. We appreciate your participation in our monthly series of brief, targeted benefits surveys. Today’s Survey Topic: Family Leave Practices. (We’ll publish the results in a future issue.) Family responsibility leave. It’s […]

DOL Issues Final Rule Extending Fee Disclosure Timetable

It’s now official: The effective dates regarding fiduciary and participant fee disclosure regulations for retirement plans have been extended. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule (which becomes effective July 15) providing that: Fiduciary-level Fee Disclosure Regulation: The effective date for the interim final rule is extended from July 16, 2011, […]

Verizon ADA Settlement: More on leaves of absence as reasonable accommodation

Now that the dust is settling over the nationwide class-action disability discrimination lawsuit Verizon settled with the EEOC, we at the SmartHRManager blog wanted to ask HR professionals what this settlement means to their companies. To help you answer that question, take a look at the consent decree’s corporate improvement plan, which highlights what Verizon […]