Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Most companies consider the end-of-year performance appraisal the crucial one. But BLR’s CEO advances a different idea. I experienced a “duh” moment a while attending the 6th Annual NY HR Week. Gary Koca, vice president of GRA, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland, was speaking on the (ever-engaging) topic, “Performance […]
Litigation Value: $2,000 for intentional infliction of emotional distress (caused by seeing Al Roker dance a jig before the commercial break) Watching the cast of The Office take on a group of American Gladiators in Celebrity Family Feud was just too great an opportunity for me to pass up last night. I was happy to […]
Conflict resolution. Sometimes it seems that’s all we do. Today, we follow up on yesterday’s story on mediation, and present a new audio conference that helps line supervisors and managers learn how to do it right. With the high costs of litigation, mediation is an increasingly popular way to deal with conflicts at work. However, […]
Citing the skyrocketing cost of gasoline, the IRS has raised the standard mileage reimbursement rate for the final six months of 2008. From July 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2008, the new rate for business mileage is 58.5 cents a mile, up from the 50.5-cent rate that took effect in January 2008.
Technology writer and consultant David Micah Kaufman reviews the book Resolving Conflicts at Work: A Complete Guide for Everyone on the Job by Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith. Kaufman reviews book’s theme of seeking resolution to conflict at work instead of settlement. While we all seek harmony at work, conflict is inevitable. The challenges of […]
Mediation is getting a second look from companies concerned about hair-raising judgments and settlements from traditional court disputes. Should your organization be looking, too? Mediation is a simple concept, says The Justice Center of Atlanta: “Bring both sides of a dispute together. With the assistance of a neutral mediator, enable them to speak their mind […]
By Kate McNeill, Kelly McDermott, and Donovan Plomp McCarthy Tetrault On Friday, June 27, 2008, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released its decision in Honda Canada Inc. v. Keays, reversing the largest award of punitive damages in a wrongful dismissal action in Canadian history. The decision is very favorable for employers. Background Kevin Keays […]
For better or worse, the American workplace is different than it was, and perhaps also different from how we want it to be. HR managers have to bridge the gap, says attorney Christopher Leh. People want the workforce to be a family, where managers and employees can talk about anything and everything. But the fact […]
Are there any organizations (private or public) that can help us with our emergency preparedness other than FEMA?
In every issue, we take one reader’s question and ask our other readers to weigh in. Here’s what you had to say about a recent question: