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Hate Crimes Fell 15 Percent in 2009

According to the 2009 Hate Crime Statistics report released by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, the number of hate crimes reported in 2009 fell about 15% from the previous year. Participating local law enforcement agencies reported a total of 6,604 incidents — down from 7,783 reported incidents in 2008 — involving 7,789 offenses as […]

NLRB Really Roils the Water Around Social Media

We knew social media was going to be a big part of 2011’s HR landscape, but the NLRB has just upped the ante considerably. It says that an ambulance service illegally terminated an employee who posted negative remarks about her supervisor on her personal Facebook page, because the posting was “concerted activity.” The complaint also […]

SHIFTing POWS to WOWS … to Find Professional Paradise

Is it really possible to find a state of “paradise” or “bliss” at work when everything seems chaotic and you’re scared to death about the security of your job? Absolutely! says Vicki Hess. Now more than ever, she says, Professional Paradise™ is alive and well. Professional Paradise is not just a feel-good concept, Hess says. […]

Conduct Detrimental

Some of you professional football fans may have heard that earlier this week the Washington Redskins suspended their All-Pro defensive lineman, Albert Haynesworth, without pay for the rest of the season. You see, Haynesworth and Redskins’ head coach Mike Shanahan have been feuding since the pre-season, when Haynesworth skipped off-season workouts, refused to attend a […]

Ain’t No Business Like Snow Business

Litigation Value: Not much, yet; but, potentially millions if Dwight goes on a murderous rampage. Is hurling snowballs really that big a deal?! Last week, it was the Cincinnati Bearcats mascot; this week, it’s Dwight Schrute and Jim Halpert — one gets arrested, the other two undergo corrective counseling. Having already addressed the tribulations of […]

What Are The Limits of Employee Privacy?

Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Ontario, California police department didn’t illegally invade an officer’s privacy when it reviewed the racy messages he sent and received via his department-issued pager. What does this mean for your policies?

Ho Ho Ho…liday Lawsuit? 3 Tips To Protect Yourself

In a recent article for our premium service, California Employer Advisor, we offered 11 tips for employers to limit liability when hosting a company holiday party. In this post, we offer you 3 of those tips to keep your event sane and safe and liability-free.

Good and Bad News in 2011 Compensation Survey Results

There’s good news and bad news to be found in the results of HRHero.com’s 2011 Compensation Survey. The good news is that last year 32 percent of respondents said they were going to have a wage freeze in 2010, but this year only 21 percent say they are planning to have a wage freeze in the […]

Making ‘Subjective’ Employment Criteria ‘Objective’

Most employers understand that they should discourage the use of subjective criteria to make hiring, advancement, and severance decisions. However, many supervisors still insist that they must consider subjective criteria because factors like “attitude,” “initiative,” and “reliability” simply can’t be made objective. True or false? Let’s break it down. Every employee undoubtedly has certain tasks […]

Vast Majority of Companies Say HR Certification Is an Advantage in Hiring, Promotion, Job Security

Vast Majority of Companies Say HR Certification Is an Advantage in Hiring, Promotion, Job Security [Steve Bruce interviewed Mary Power, Executive Director of the HR Certification Institute, on November 22.] “Our Value of Certification studies clearly show the advantages of certification,” says Mary Power, Executive Director of the HR Certification Institute. For example, 96 percent […]