Archives

Unions, Politics, and Money: Campaign 2008

In a democracy, social issues regularly become political issues, and solutions (including compromises) are worked out through public elections. Since employers and unions are frequently on opposite sides of key issues, both attempt to involve the public and spend extensively to support their respective positions or solutions. Both the short- and long-term ramifications of this […]

HR Director Sentenced to Jail for Facilitating Compensation Scheme Including Backdating Stock Options

by Mark Schickman HR directors usually aren’t the most politically powerful officers in higher-level corporate cultures. The function doesn’t produce product or create sales, so there’s no ready way to judge its value and contribution. Like a solid defensive lineman, an HR director is working best when basking in total anonymity — when no HR […]

60 of the Employee and Supervisor Training Programs You Need …. For both HR and Safety … at One Low Flat Fee!

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Virtually all HR and safety training material you’d ever need, as often as you need, at one low flat fee. That’s BLR’s new Employee Training Center. CEO Bob Brady gives you the details. Since the day I founded BLR in 1977, I’ve known employee training to be a […]

Pimping Out Pam

HARASSMENT CLAIMS: $200,000 – $300,000. NEGLIGENCE/PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS: $50,000 – $75,000. WATCHING ANDY EAT IT IN THE SAND PIT: Priceless. It is truly my honor to take over this blog for my good friend, Julie Elgar. She has provided us all with great practical and legal tips over the past year, and we will miss […]

Is There Dilbert®-Level Dysfunction in Your Workplace?

We’ve been taking a humorous look at dysfunction in the workplace. Today, more indicators of trouble, and a look at a checklist system that can be HR’s “dysfunction detector.” Yesterday, we reported on 10 signs of a dysfunctional workplace, as cataloged by blogger Scarlett Pruitt on HRWorld.com. Here are three more: 1. Top managers are […]

Teens in the Workplace: What Employers Should Know, Part 1

It’s hard to believe, but summer is almost here. And if you’re planning on hiring young workers to add to your ranks during the summer months, now’s the time to read up on the special safety rules that apply to teens in the workplace. In fact, May is Safe Jobs for Youth Month in California. […]

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (And Their Employees)

HR manager Paul Knoch reviews the book The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (And Their Employees) by Patrick Lencioni. Review highlights book’s examples of why some companies’ cultures are attractive to employees while other companies struggle with low morale and high turnover rates. I first became interested in reading The […]

10 Signs of a Dysfunctional Workplace

It’s a Dilbert® world out there, says HR blogger Scarlett Pruitt. Signs of dysfunction are rampant. Today, we’ll paraphrase 10 of the most glaring. Pruitt, blogging on HRWorld.com, collects real-world evidence of dysfunction in workplace settings. We thought that these 10 of her most revealing signs bear repeating. See anyone/anything familiar here? 1. Nothing can […]