Author: Dan Oswald

3 Questions About Your Attitude Toward Your Job

Do you have a passion for your work? I mean, do you really love what you do? I was at a conference recently and one of the speakers really grabbed my attention. What he had to say was interesting but not earth-shattering. His presentation and speaking style were strong, but that’s still not what caught my […]

USERRA: Do the Right Thing for the Right Reasons for Employees in the Military

As we celebrate Veterans Days this week and honor the men and women who have served the United States in military service, it’s a good time for employers to recognize their employees who are citizen-soldiers and are beginning to come home — as well as other employees who continue to join reserve units or the […]

Beware Deductions for Lost or Stolen Property from Exempt Employees’ Pay

by Kathy Neal Many things can be scary for the unseasoned HR manager, particularly when it comes to wage and hour law. One of the scariest areas involves pay deductions. HR Guide to Employment Law: A Practical Compliance Reference Understanding the Fair Labor Standards Act – FLSA Many employers issue laptops or smartphones to their […]

Belles, Bourbon, Bullets & Bankruptcy

Litigation Value: $0. Shockingly no one did anything illegal in this episode. Dunder Mifflin suffered a full day’s lost productivity due to Corporate’s poor handling of the bankruptcy situation. In this week’s episode, the recession finally hit Dunder Mifflin. Faced with such stress, I would have expected the Scranton branch to become a plaintiff’s lawyer’s […]

Holidays 2009 Survey Results

Each year, HR Hero Line surveys its readers about what days they will be off at the holidays and in the coming year. Most of you will have a paid holiday later this month on both Thanksgiving Day and the day after, while about 36% of you will get off on Thanksgiving Day only. Christmas […]

Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka reviews Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today by Susan Scott, which he finds a useful tool for HR communication. Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today by Susan Scott is full of good HR advice, and I […]

Wal-Mart Layoffs Declared Illegal by Quebec Arbitrator

As we have reported before (January 6, 2009, December 2, 2008, and August 26, 2008), Wal-Mart has repeatedly been dealt blows by Canadian courts and other decision-makers. Most recently, an arbitrator in Quebec has weighed in – and it’s more bad news for Wal-Mart in Canada. Wal-Mart’s store in Jonquiere, Quebec, was certified by the […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on November 9. 1. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (P.S.) by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. A maverick scholar and a journalist apply economic theory to everything from cheating sumo […]

House Passes Momentous Health Care Reform Legislation

In a 220-215 vote, House Democrats passed a controversial health care reform bill with only one Republican voting for the legislation. The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) is a combination of three different health care reform bills approved by House committees this summer and is 1,990 pages with a 42-page manager’s amendment. […]

Senators Introduce Another COBRA Subsidy Extension Bill

Update Dec. 21, 2009: President signs bill including COBRA subsidy extension Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania) introduced the COBRA Subsidy Extension and Enhancement Act (S. 2730) this week in the U.S. Senate. The proposed bill would extend the original federal COBRA subsidy created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 […]