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BLM

Court Eviscerates Employees’ Suit Against Whole Foods, Amazon for Banning BLM Attire

Whole Foods employees wearing Black Lives Matter (BLM) masks and attire filed a class action lawsuit against the grocery company and Amazon after being prohibited from wearing the gear with the BLM messaging and disciplined for doing it anyway. They alleged race-based discrimination and retaliation claims. The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts […]

Rising Higher: Eliminating Performance Reviews

Gaylyn was an HR Works Podcast 5-Minute Friday guest, listen to that here. My personal opinion, for whatever that’s worth, is that performance reviews do more harm than good. Most people have different feedback needs, and memorializing their flaws in documentation can make otherwise excellent employees head for the door. I am not alone in […]

letter

Are Cover Letters Still Valuable to Hiring Managers in 2021?

There’s no question that résumés remain critical pieces of the recruiting process. It’s arguable that they’ve become even more relevant in recent years, thanks to applicant tracking systems that parse their text to accelerate candidate screening. But what about cover letters? In the age of online recruiting, “text speak,” and short attention spans, do these […]

tips

DOL Delays Regs, Withdraws Guidance Issued During Trump Administration’s Final Days

During the past several presidential transitions, it has become a trend for the incoming administration to repeal or delay many regulations and guidance documents issued in the waning days of the previous administration. The switch from the Trump administration to the Biden administration shows the trend has continued and likely will do so for the […]

Rethinking Your Friendly Reminder E-Mails

As we noted in a previous post, the COVID-19-triggered shift to remote work has moved conversations that once took place at the proverbial watercooler, in conference rooms, or by popping into a coworker’s workspace to virtual formats. Even when that format is a video call, much of the nuance of in-person communication is lost. This […]

Remote

Zoom and Meeting Inclusiveness

When people talk about inclusiveness in the workplace, the concept is often closely associated with diversity—ensuring that a company is inclusive of its diverse workforce. Diversity means ensuring there are diverse people at the table, while inclusiveness means giving everyone at the table a chance to be heard. Typically, inclusiveness is associated with race, gender, […]

Britain’s Harry and Meghan Dish the Dirt to Oprah: Tips for Handling Trash-Talking Ex-Employees

Blimey! Apparently, the British royals have their knickers in a twist over Prince Harry and Princess Meghan’s recent television interview with Oprah. The news of the interview has caused quite the kerfuffle across the pond, as the Sussexes revealed shocking royal secrets. Royal aides, who deem Harry and Meghan’s swipes a load of codswallop, hit […]

Addressing the Job-Stealing Robot Narrative

The concern that machines and robots will make certain jobs obsolete and leave countless workers without a job has been prevalent for years, dating back at least to the Industrial Revolution. While there have been jobs lost to automation, technology, and robotics, this doesn’t tell the whole story, and the real dynamic is more complex. […]

EEOC

Revised EEOC Conciliation Process a Win for Employers

Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published a new rule affecting its own processes for dealing with employers under investigation. The conciliation process, which is statutorily mandated, occurs after the agency has determined reasonable cause exists to believe an employer has violated an employment statute and is the means by which it attempts […]