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Reader’s Story: The Refrigerator Vandal

It’s finally time for your lunch break. You go to the fridge, open the door, and … where did it go? Having your lunch disappear from the fridge is an aggravating (and according to a recent poll, not all that uncommon) experience. However, coworkers aren’t always to blame. In this story, submitted by a reader, […]

Short-Term Gain for Long-Term Pain?

There has always been a lot of focus on quarterly earning reports, but given the current economic environment, this corporate ritual has come under even greater scrutiny. Everyone is trying to read the crystal ball and figure out what every little detail means. Sales are down 30% when compared to the same quarter but are […]

Until death do us part: Attempts to reduce retiree benefits fail—for now

By Ralph Nero, Ross Gascho, and Keri Bennett As in the United States, some Canadian employers have attempted to eliminate or reduce post-retirement benefits in order to address escalating costs. In two recent cases, Canadian employers were found to be not entitled to reduce post-retirement health and life insurance benefits. Courts in both Ontario and […]

How to Do Homemade (but NOT Half-baked!) Strategic Planning

By BLR Founder and Publisher Bob Brady HR strategic planning doesn’t need to be complex and expensive. Here’s the simple way to get the results without the time and cost. HR—and HR managers—have come a long way in the 30 years that I’ve been a part of the industry. Changing demographics (the Baby Boomers, Generation […]

Has Your Company Considered Youth Mentoring?

Dr. Susan G. Weinberger, affectionately known as Dr. Mentor, is the President of the Mentor Consulting Group in Norwalk, CT USA, and an international expert on internal and external business mentoring and coaching programs. In this article she continues to describe youth mentoring programs. Kinds of Company-sponsored Youth Mentoring Programs Regardless of location of the […]

DOL Getting Strict on Child Farm Labor: Proposed Rules Due Sept. 2

Agricultural employers on the lookout for Fair Labor Standards Act’s child labor regulations for their industry can look no more — a new notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would revise those rules will finally be published in the Federal Register tomorrow. Agricultural employers have been awaiting these rules since final child labor rules for […]

5 Words Every Employer Should Say During a Job Interview

To their own detriment, 92% of employers focus on experience and ability when hiring employees. But experience and ability are all but irrelevant in hiring the best employees. In his latest book, The Five A’s of Great Employees, author, speaker, and workplace-cultural advisor Eric Swenson identifies the five most important traits of a truly great […]

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Letting Employees Own Their Processes

Most people who have managed employees have at one time or another been frustrated with the performance of a staff member. He or she just simply doesn’t seem to “get it.” The person isn’t performing the work the way you think he or she should, and despite all of the sit-downs, performance reviews, additional training, […]

Millions of Older Workers in Physically Demanding Jobs

Hard Work? Patterns in Physically Demanding Labor Among Older Workers, a study from the Center for Economic and Policy Research, examines the population of older workers and how raising the retirement age affects those in jobs with difficult working conditions. The study notes that high physical demands are a major reason for “early labor-market exit […]