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Study Highlights Prevalence of Ageism in the Workplace

Ageism remains one of the most widespread and damaging forms of discrimination in today’s workplace, and new data from Resume Now’s 2024 State of Ageism in the Workplace report paints a troubling picture. According to the survey, an overwhelming 90% of workers aged 40 and older report experiencing age-related discrimination at work. From pay disparities […]

How You Know Your Job Descriptions Are No Good

The most typical problems have to do with job specifications that are inaccurate. They either require something that isn’t truly required, or they describe duties that are no longer relevant. Job Specs Unreasonably High A number of state and federal government agencies (particularly the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)) have concluded in a number of […]

From $366 Million to $249,000: Takeaways for Employers from Appellate Ruling on Damages Caps

Among the many perils of litigation, one of the biggest concerns employers express is the risk of an astronomical jury verdict. On Feb. 1, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed this issue when it cut an eye-popping $366 million jury verdict against FedEx to just $249,000. The decision in Harris v. FedEx Corporate […]

Are You Cross-Training Your Employees?

The following information comes from BLR’s 10-Minute HR Trainer session, "Cross-Training to Promote Better Productivity." How Does Cross-Training Benefit the Organization? Cross-training involves teaching workers job duties other than the ones they normally perform. It develops skills and knowledge so that employees have more to offer the organization. It helps you cope with absences and […]

Summer jobs and workplace harassment: Train your teen workers to avoid trouble

by Joan Farrell June’s here and school’s out for the summer! For many teenagers, that means finding a summer job; and for most, it’s their first job or their first experience in a workplace. That means employers should be ready to provide training—and not just in the how-to’s of the job, but in appropriate workplace […]

Hacker

Best Practices to Protect Your Data: Reviewing DOL’s Cybersecurity Instructions

With the recent spike in cybersecurity breaches rippling through all corners of the global business landscape, the surging interest in data protection has caused even the highest departments of state to take note and weigh in.  In April 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration issued a cybersecurity guidance to help […]

The Demanding Job of the Middle Manager

For many workers, getting promoted to a management position is a major career goal, but those first and second levels of management between frontline workers and the brass at the top—also known as “middle management”—aren’t necessarily all they’re cracked up to be. Middle managers are often caught between the demands of their subordinates and the […]

Remember the Titans: Lessons for Football—and for Management

Oswald, CEO of BLR®, offered his takeaways from Remember the Titans in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. Here’s what he says: The other night I walked in the door to find my youngest son watching the movie Remember the Titans. If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know I consider the […]

Is $100 Adequate Consideration for Noncompete?

By Richard L. Rainey, JD In North Carolina, initial employment is sufficient consideration to support a noncompete agreement. However, if an individual is already an employee, additional consideration must be provided to support a noncompete. (Consideration is something of value given to an employee for signing the noncompete.)