Archives

Making Technology Improve Work, Not Create Distraction

The capabilities of the devices the average employee brings to the workplace these days are amazing. At any given moment, every one of your employees probably has the ability to make a phone call from anywhere in the building, record a conversation, and take pictures of your most sensitive work secrets — and that’s just […]

Readers Pose Job Interview Questions for the U.S. Presidential Candidates

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady BLR founder and CEO Bob Brady’s epinion in last Friday’s Advisor generated a flood of responses. A surprising number of readers jumped at the chance to put their interviewing chops to work, questioning the presidential candidates. In last Friday’s e-pinion, I suggested that if we took a standard […]

Tattoos, Body Jewelry, Religious Accommodations, and the EEOC

In yesterday’s Advisor, we considered accommodation requirements when safety and religion conflict. Today, more EEOC guidance on religious accommodation and dress codes, along with a program that has your dress code policies … legally reviewed … already written. Q. Is it okay for a company to explain that someone has received a religious accommodation; for […]

The Good Black: A True Story of Race in America

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka reviews the book The Good Black: A True Story of Race in America by Paul M. Barrett. Review follows book’s description of a real-life story of an African-American who went from motivated employee to suing his employer for employment and race discrimination. Ever wonder how a once successful and motivated […]

Are Your Vacation Priorities in Order? 5 Strategies

According to the results of a new survey, 31 percent of employees won’t use all of their vacation days this year, and the average U.S. adult will leave about three vacation days on the table. The survey, conducted by online travel agency Expedia, found that work stress is driving the trend toward foregoing all available […]

Hard Hats, Headgear, and Hair—When Safety and Religion Collide

From piercings to tongue studs to revealing clothing, today’s workplace is a hotbed of cultural and generational challenges. And many of the conflicts are tied to safety issues. In today’s Advisor, we’ll tell you how EEOC helps to sort it all out. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) take on safety and religion was recently […]

Avoiding Hiring Pitfalls in Canada

By Kate McNeill McCarthy Tetrault We all know that once you hire an employee, you have certain legal obligations to that employee. But what about before you even hire someone? In Canada, job applicants are entitled to certain human rights and common law protections that employers must be aware of in their hiring practices. In […]

Can You ‘Bribe’ Employees Not to Smoke?

Yesterday’s Advisor talked about smoking bans. Today we’ll discuss antismoking “bribes”—more politely, incentives–and a guide that has helped thousands of companies to develop wellness programs of their own. Under federal law, employers may establish employee health assessment and promotion programs as long as the programs meet the following requirements: Employee participation is voluntary; Information obtained […]

HOT LIST: Bestselling Business Books on Amazon.com

Amazon.com updates its list of bestselling business books hourly. Here is a snapshot of what books people are buying on Monday, April 21. 1. The Trillion Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High Rollers, and the Great Credit Crash by Charles R. Morris. According to the author, the astronomical leverage at investment banks and their hedge fund […]

Response to last week’s article

by Brian Smeenk Editor – Northern Exposure Like the hockey gag line about going to a fight only to have a hockey game break out, last week Northern Exposure was the site of shock and awe, and a good legal debate broke out. There was a lot of interest in our post last week about […]