Category: HR Management & Compliance
There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.
Usability – a New/Old Way to Improve Even the Best Ideas
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady BLR now has what many think is the finest HR website available (HR.BLR.com), but its origins are very humble. In today’s column, I’d like to write about how we got from A to the current version, 3.1—and about a concept you can use to improve your HR ideas […]
Employee Cell Phone Use – Essential Policy Points
Cellular phone-toting employees can be quite a liability, as we saw in the last issue of the Advisor. Today we’ll look at some cell phone safety policy points and share some good news—your policies are already written! Here, from BLR’s SmartPolicies on CD, are crucial points to consider in creating your cell phone policy: Training. […]
High Court Defines ‘Charge’ in Age Discrimination
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the definition of a “charge” of age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). Under the ADEA, an employee is required to file a “charge” with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) before the dispute is escalated to court. But the term “charge” is not […]
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
HR writer Sarah McAdams reviews the book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heat. Review shows how HR can use the book’s advice on how to effectively communicate ideas. Some ideas just stick with us. And one of them from Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller The Tipping Point: […]
Proposed FMLA Regs Shed Light on New Leave Requirements for Military Families
Update: New FMLA regs issued by DOL on November 14, 2008 When Congress amended the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to grant additional leave entitlements to certain employees with family members in the military, its heart was in the right place. After all, who can argue against that type of leave? Unfortunately for employers, […]
‘Spanking’ Wasn’t Sexual Harassment, Court Rules
When a Fresno jury in 2006 awarded $1.7 million for sexual harassment to an employee who charged that she was spanked as part of team-building exercises at work, the verdict sent ripples through the employer community as a stark reminder of the need to keep a close check on workplace conduct. Now, however, the verdict […]
Wired Employees: Great for Productivity—and Liability
These days, it seems as though most every employee needs a cell phone, pager, or PDA. While these devices can be great for productivity, says employment attorney Sarah Weitz, they can also create liability. Digital devices can pose problems ranging from safety to wage and hour and productivity, says attorney Sarah Weitz, blogging on hreonline.com. […]
Supreme Court Rules on ‘Me Too’ Evidence
The U.S. Supreme Court has completed its review of a key Kansas age discrimination case, settling a split between federal courts on the admissibility of “me too” evidence. “Me too” evidence is testimony by non-parties that alleges discrimination at the hands of persons who played no part in the challenged employment decision. In the present […]
Discrimination: Can We Require New Hires to Speak English?
We have quite a diverse population in our area, and many of our applicants do not have good English skills. Can we require our employees to be able to speak English? We think it’s critical for our salespeople who deal with the public, and really, just as important for our assembly, fabrication, and warehouse workers […]