Author: Julie Elgar

And the Winner Is!

The people have spoken.  And, as you might have guessed, the worst HR moment in The Office occurred when Michael handed out the Kama Sutra to all employees during a staff meeting. What a human resources nightmare. On a related note, I’m encouraged to hear that the writers guild and the studios have reached a tentative agreement.  […]

Ministers in the Workplace

Normally, employees take their work-related problems to HR departments. They may, for personal problems, bend the ear of a concerned manager or supervisor. More and more, however, employers have begun to use what they believe to be an even better approach to the needs of their employees: corporate chaplains. In an effort to create the […]

Creating Accurate Job Descriptions

by Stephen J. Stine Whether your workforce is 20 or 10,020, any organization will benefit from drafting accurate job descriptions. Drafting effective and accurate job descriptions in an employment agreement will save you and your employees unnecessary confusion. It also will help ensure that all duties of the job are assigned efficiently. Audio Conference: Essential […]

The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t

Employment law attorney Mark I. Schickman reviews the book The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t by Robert Sutton. Review examines book’s assertion that there should be a rule against workplace bullying. Robert Sutton is a professor at the Stanford School of Engineering and the founder and codirector of […]

New York Times: Hardcover Business Bestsellers

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times on February 5. 1. Jim Cramer’s Stay Mad for Life by James J. Cramer with Cliff Mason. (Simon & Schuster, $26.) The host of “Mad Money” on CNBC explains how to get rich and stay rich. 2. […]

Law Protects Workers’ Wages When Employer Is Insolvent

by Kate McNeill of McCarthy Tetrault and Brian P. Smeenk formerly with McCarthy Tetrault Canada’s federal parliament has passed a law to protect workers when their employers become insolvent A key component of Bill C-12, passed December 14, 2007, is the creation of the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). The WEPP provides statutory wage protection […]

New I-9 Makes Changes in Permissible Documentation

The debut of a new I-9 form brings the opportunity to review some of the basics on handling the document, which has been around since the 1980s. The new form now conforms with regulations issued in 1997 (yes, you’re reading that correctly) and alters the list of documents employees may use to establish their eligibility […]

When Must Employers Comply with New FMLA Leave Requirements?

Update: New FMLA regulations issued by DOL on November 14, 2008 The recently enacted military family leave grants two new types of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave to the relatives of military personnel. In short, the law requires employers to provide: 12 weeks of leave to employees who have a spouse, parent, or […]

May I Have the Next Envelope Please?

Continuing in the spirit of the awards season, my next category is “Most Ineffective HR Moment.” And the nominees are: When human resources manager Toby told Dwight that his grievances were sent to Dundler Mifflin’s corporate office in New York while they were actually thrown into a box underneath Toby’s desk. When Toby elects to […]

How Life Imitates Chess: Making the Right Moves from the Board to the Boardroom

Resources for Humans editor Celeste Blackburn reviews the book How Life Imitates Chess: Making the Right Moves from the Board to the Boardroom by Garry Kasparov. Reviews highlights how book’s theories on strategic thinking can be used in HR, business, and personal life. Despite what the title seems to imply, Kasparov doesn’t give secret grandmaster […]