Archives

Keeping Your Eye on the Ball

Sorry for the sports cliché, but it fits. There are a lot of distractions in life — now more than ever.  The recession (I’m surprised someone hasn’t come up with a four letter word for it) has everyone distracted. Admit it, you come to work and you’re distracted. You log on to the Internet to […]

HR Managers Predict Problems if EFCA Passes

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would make it much easier for unions to organize, was introduced in the U.S. Senate on March 10, 2009, and President Obama has said he will sign it if it passes. The future of the bill is by no means certain, […]

FMLA Malingerers? Recertify, Recertify, Recertify

Yesterday’s Advisor offered “no grandparents” Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) tips from attorney Beverly Garofalo. Today, we give you more tips plus an introduction to BLR’s updated FMLA resource materials. What Can You Do About FMLA Malingerers? There are always malingerers, Garofalo says, employees who work the system. And just brace yourself, she says, […]

Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman

Resources for Humans editor Celeste Blackburn reviews the book “Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman” by Jamie Reidy and finds it an interesting read, but one more likely to give HR professionals nightmares about slacking employees than offering real solutions to problems. In his “behind-the-scenes look at pharmaceutical sales and the most talked-about […]

No FMLA for Grandparents, and Other Timely Tips

“Don’t try to be a ‘we’re one big family’ company and allow FMLA for grandparents,” says attorney Beverly Garofalo. “It will come back to bite you every time.” Garofalo, managing partner of the Hartford office of national employment law firm Jackson Lewis, delivered her remarks at a recent seminar sponsored by workforce management software supplier […]

Democrats Introduce the Employee Free Choice Act

The Democrats blazed ahead into battle today (March 10) by introducing the much-anticipated Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) in both houses of Congress. EFCA, which has been the subject of countless debates, is a controversial bill that would allow a majority of employees to form a union by signing card-check petitions. Under the Employee Free […]

Paying Foreign and Canadian Crews Comparable Wages Not Good Enough

By Thora Sigurdson, Nicola Sutton, and Derek Knoechel SELI Canada Inc. entered into a joint venture with SNC Lavalin and successfully bid on a contract to build a large rapid transit project in the Vancouver area. The so-called “Canada Line” has been a “hot button” project, causing heated debate about the cost to taxpayers, the […]

Please Don’t Investigate? You May Want to Agree

When an employee makes a complaint, conventional wisdom says that you have to investigate even when requested not to, says attorney Jonathan Segal. While that’s correct for most cases, recognize that there may also be some risks in investigating. Segal offered his tips at a recent SHRM conference. Segal is a partner in the Philadelphia […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times on March 9. 1. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. hy some people succeed — it has to do with luck and opportunities as well as talent — from the author of Blink: The Power […]