Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Jay Surdukowski Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C. On Thursday, June 6, the New Hampshire Senate approved a bill to protect the privacy of employees’ social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But Republicans tacked on an amendment that may doom the bill in the house. Introduced by three Democratic lawmakers, House Bill 414 […]
I recently returned from a meeting where one expert recommended doing a Google search on applicants as part of the evaluation process. He said you often find very interesting things about people, especially if they blog or have their own website. Someone else thought it might be an invasion of privacy, and others objected that […]
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Today, readers talk back. Many agreed with my comments on the virtues of more frequent performance appraisals, although three readers don’t think every 6 months is often enough. Here is a sampling of your responses: Managers Realize the Value “My organization has been doing formal 6-month performance appraisals […]
According to a new decision from a California Court of Appeals, the state antibias law doesn’t obligate an employer to make a temporary light-duty accommodation for a disabled employee into a permanent one. The case involved Burbank police officer Mark Raine, who injured his knee while on his normal patrol duty. The police department reassigned […]
Job hunters are seeing glimmers of hope as the economy shows signs of rebound. Economic recovery is good news for everyone, but the downside for employers is that they may see some of their valuable employees taking advantage of an improving job market by looking for opportunities in new workplaces. When good people move on, […]
Our management has asked me to explore the possibility of outsourcing substantial parts of our HR function. (They’re not singling us out—other functions are doing the analysis, too). How can we tell what to outsource, and to whom? — Tammy, HR director in Cupertino
The U.S. Supreme Court’s March 1 ruling in a Vermont case relieves self-insured employers from the obligation to report claims data to state governments that have established databases reflecting healthcare use and costs for citizens. The reach of the ruling extends beyond Vermont to all self-insured plans. “It absolutely has national implications,” Linda J. Cohen, […]
By Holly K. Jones, JD, Senior Legal Editor When the Roomba first hit the market it was one of those mythical things, to me—like hoverboards and self-driving cars and same-day Amazon delivery—about which I could only dream. But as the prices became more reasonable and the devices more sophisticated, I decided that, as a person […]
As of last year, Babson College in Newton, Massachusetts, had two diversity managers, an assistant dean charged with increasing campus-wide inclusion, and a few HR professionals focused on diversity. But the college’s senior leaders decided that wasn’t enough. In March, they appointed Elizabeth Thornton to be Babson’s first chief diversity officer (CDO). “The senior leadership […]
As if employers don’t already have enough to deal with these days—thanks in large part to a faltering economy—some new developments, including big financial incentives or employees to blow the whistle and a new whistleblower protection law, should cause many to watch their backs.