Archives

‘Forbidden’ Questions? Not So Fast, Say Readers

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady In a recent Advisor, we warned you away from 25 “forbidden” interview questions. Reader feedback ranged from “I didn’t know that” to “Everybody knows that” to “Are you sure you’re right?” to “I’m sure you’re wrong.” Today we sort it all out. Too Simplistic Regarding our list of […]

RIF Releases or Suits and Settlements? You Choose

Yesterday’s Advisor covered the legal pitfalls of layoffs. Today Attorney Bennett Pine gives you his take on release agreements, and we introduce an extraordinary collection of checklists that helps you through the whole range of HR challenges. Consider requiring employees to sign releases in exchange for receiving severance pay, Pine recommends. Although such agreements must […]

The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One that Isn’t

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka discusses Robert Sutton’s book The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One that Isn’t. General counsel are tagged as custodians of their companies’ most crucial, yet most sensitive and volatile asset: its employees. Henry Ford saw them as one big headache, immune from any analgesic’s curative powers: […]

Curbing FMLA Abuse

Ask most HR managers what their biggest headache is, and about 90 percent say “FMLA.” From eligibility to notifications to managing intermittent leave, it’s an ever-present problem.

Layoffs in Your Future? Liability May Be, Too

It’s no secret that the next year is shaping up as a grim time for employees, with many layoffs on the horizon, says attorney Bennett Pine. And layoffs mean lawsuits and liability unless you carefully plan and execute. Your first step to avoid liability? Familiarize yourself now with the requirements of the Worker Adjustment and […]

Quebec closing may have ramifications in Saskatchewan – Wal-Mart revisited

by Karen Sargeant As many of you will know from earlier blog entries, Wal-Mart’s entry into Canada has been rife with union complaints. Beginning in the 1990s when employees at a Windsor, Ontario, store were automatically certified under relatively new certification provisions, employees and unions have filed numerous unfair labor practice complaints. The most recent […]

FMLA Changes: What You Need to Know—and Do

Yesterday we looked at some of the important changes in the new Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations, particularly revisions to the employer and employee notice requirements. Today we’ll look at some other important changes, and at a new audio conference that will get you ready for the January 16 effective date. Certification Among […]

What Do the FMLA Changes Mean for You?

The long-awaited revisions to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) take effect on January 16, 2009. Here’s a look at some key provisions—and at an audio conference this Friday that will help you make sense of it all. The Department of Labor (DOL) says that many of the FMLA revisions were designed to clarify […]

Send: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka comments on the book Send: Why People Email so Badly and How to Do It Better by David Shipley and Will Schwalbe, highlighting the book’s advice on making business e-mail more personal. I just finished an interesting book, Send: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better, […]

Mandatory Arbitration—As Good as It Sounds?

No more lawsuits, faster results, lower judgments—what’s not to like about mandatory arbitration? Not much, but there are issues to consider and pitfalls to avoid, says attorney Sandra Rappaport. Typical employee arbitration agreements require that all work-related disputes between the employer and employee be resolved by impartial arbitrators rather than by jury trial, says Rappaport, […]