Archives

Hit and Run

I ran across a number of things this week that I thought were worthy of comment.  Instead of choosing one, I thought I would try to get them all in. In the “It’s About Time” category, the board of BP negotiated the departure of Tony Hayward as CEO of the oil company and replaced him […]

Disastrous Discipline Mistakes Avoided with 8 Simple Tips

Discipline is one of the most basic and important supervisory roles, yet it is often handled poorly, sometimes with disastrous results. What goes wrong? How many times have you encountered these mistakes: Employees disciplined for doing something they have a legal right to do—like take intermittent FMLA or make an EEO complaint Inconsistent discipline that […]

Job Posting

Alas, repeats. My able colleague, Jaclyn West, wrote about this week’s episode — The Chump — in her excellent post of May 14. But fear not. There is big news this week that demands its own post. NBC has confirmed that Steve Carell will leave The Office when his contract expires in 2011. Michael Scott’s seven-year reign as Scranton […]

Survey Report: What’s Really Happening with Telecommuting, Flextime, Dress

By Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR Just My E-pinion For years, BLR® has surveyed compensation and benefits professionals. This year, we have expanded our program with a series of brief, targeted benefits surveys. In today’s Advisor, we’ve got the results of the recent Telemarketing, Flextime, and Dress Code survey. What are other organizations doing in these […]

How To Keep Up with California Employment Law

Yesterday’s CED dealt with whether employment laws that require notice to employees about their wage and hour, safety, and other protections also require that this information be provided in other languages if you have non-English-speaking workers.

Federal Inactivity Continues to Spark State Immigration Action

A federal judge blocked parts of Arizona’s new immigration law on Wednesday, the day before the rest of the measure went into effect. But legal challenges are already flying and many are waiting to see what happens next. Last year, a record number of immigration-related laws were considered and passed in the 50 states. Over […]

Is There a Difference Between ‘Fired’ and ‘Laid Off’?

While there is little to no practical difference between a layoff and a termination (in both cases, the employee lost his or her job), in the minds of employees the difference is both real and significant, says Attorney Matthew Effland Effland, a shareholder at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart’s Indianapolis office, made his remarks […]

At Age 20, ADA Still Hasn’t Fully Matured

Earlier this week, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed a major milestone when it turned 20 years old. Like most 20-year-olds, it (1) didn’t get this far without some growing pains and (2) still has a ways to go before reaching full maturity. Let’s take a look back at where the law began, how […]

Must You Post Notices in Foreign Languages?

Federal and state governments require multiple notices to employees, but do they also require them in foreign languages for non-English-speaking workers? The short answer … maybe. Because you’re conscientious about employment law, you’ve put up the required safety and health, family leave, USERRA, and other postings. And you’ve supplied your employees with required information under […]

Forget ‘Survivor Guilt’ – Now It’s ‘Survivor Anger’!

It’s a great relief to be coming out of the recession, but there are special challenges for employers, says Attorney Matthew Effland. Employees’ expectations and management’s plans may be at odds—and that might turn survivor guilt into survivor anger. Effland, a shareholder at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart’s Indianapolis office, made his remarks at […]