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Eight Basic Mistakes in HR Management

There are three “legs” that support managers and supervisors in doing their jobs—policies and practices, performance management, and job descriptions. Unfortunately, in many companies, each leg is weakened by basic mistakes that make compliance difficult Here are the most common mistakes: Policies and Practices Mistakes Mistake #1: No policies at All The no policies approach […]

‘New’ OSHA Uses Old Policy to Make Example of Employers

OSHA is making aggressive use of “egregious violations” to levy large fines and make an example of employers where it considers hazards to have been very serious, including a $16.6 million fine in Connecticut last week and another case in Wisconsin. But the question is whether the violations will hold up in the face of […]

Work Permits: Employee Transfers for Canadian Start-Ups

by Isabelle Dongier In our March 22, 2010 article, we explained the simplified and expedited processes for obtaining a temporary work permit for foreign employees transferred from outside Canada to a Canadian parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate company. These intracompany transfers provide a significant benefit for companies — they exempt them from demonstrating their reasonable […]

Situations and Actions that Predict Possible Violence

In yesterday’s Advisor, we shared OSHA’s take on workplace violence. Today, tips on spotting potentially violent situations from BLR®‘s 10-Minute HR Trainer. Be Alert to Work Situations that Could Potentially Lead to Violence People may be more likely to go over the edge into violent behavior at work when they: Are fired or laid off […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on August 9. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of […]

Workplace Violence—Steps You Should Take to Prevent It

Workplace violence can range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide, one of the leading causes of job-related deaths. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of violence in your workplace. Who Is Vulnerable? According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), some 2 million American workers […]

Secret of Success

I’ve been thinking about self-discipline a lot lately. Maybe it’s because I’m carrying around an extra 20 — OK, 25 — pounds and wondering how I allowed myself to get to this point. Obviously, I haven’t been as disciplined with my eating and workout regimen as I need to be. But self-discipline is the key […]

Kagan’s Arrival Unlikely to Shift Supreme Court’s Overall Balance

The U.S. Senate confirmed Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday in a 63-37 vote. As expected, the senators voted along party lines, with only five Republicans voting to confirm President Barack Obama’s nominee. The final step in Kagan’s road to the Supreme Court will be a White House swearing-in ceremony. Kagan will become […]

Snowball Effect of Wage and Hour Class Action Lawsuits

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the federal law that governs wages and overtime pay, has been the topic of numerous articles in state Employment Law Letters.  We’ve reported on the rise of wage and hour lawsuits filed state courts and we highlighted what federal courts consider “acceptable terms” for an FLSA settlement agreement What […]

Road Trip Redux

Litigation Value: Nothing this week, at least not from an employment law perspective. But beware next year’s version of Recyclops. At the rate Dwight Schrute is going, he’s going to wreak some real havoc. This week’s repeat episode has Michael Scott and His Merry Men (Andy, Dwight and Oscar) off to New York — in […]