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Organization Strategy Must Underlie Health Reform Decisions

How a company complies with health care reform should be determined by what kind of employer it is, how exclusive its workforce is, and how important its benefit package is seen as an aid to recruitment and retention. Only after that analysis should an employer look at whether gains can be made by, say, reducing […]

HOT LIST: Bestselling Business Books on Amazon.com

Amazon.com updates its list of bestselling business books hourly. Here is a snapshot of what books people are buying on Monday, April 21. 1. The Trillion Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High Rollers, and the Great Credit Crash by Charles R. Morris. According to the author, the astronomical leverage at investment banks and their hedge fund […]

Illinois same-sex marriage law will spawn employment issues

by Steven L. Brenneman On November 5, both houses of the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriages. Governor Pat Quinn is expected to sign the bill into law. If he does, it will take effect in June 2014. The new law will affect Illinois employers in several ways. Regarding employee benefits, employers […]

Coming Soon: OSHA Vs. New House Majority on Enforcement

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) agenda to increase enforcement, which includes items such as ergonomics, noise standards, and an injury and illness prevention program, seems destined to run into resistance from the new Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. It’s fairly clear that changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Act […]

Wrongful Termination: Fired Software Executive Awarded $2.7 Million Amid Claims Of High-Tech Piracy

Sandy Baratta, an Oracle vice president, was at San Francisco International Airport waiting to board a plane when she discovered her ticket was canceled. She called Oracle and was told she had been fired. Baratta sued, accusing Oracle of terminating her because she was five months pregnant and because she had insisted on an investigation […]

Who’s working at home, and is home the proper place?

Workers who battle drive-time traffic, spend a significant portion of a paycheck at the gas station, and fight the distracting hubbub of the office may dream of working amid the comforts of home. There’s no frustrating commute, no office annoyances. But a good many telecommuters worry that they’re missing something because they’re isolated from colleagues. […]

I Am the Office Manager … With No HR Experience

Just My E-pinionBy Cindy McPherrin Cindy McPherrin, today’s guest columnist, offers her thoughts on the challenges of coping with her suddenly acquired HR responsibilities. (We’d like to hear about the challenges you’re facing as well.) I am the office manager of a two-family owned mid-size design/building firm. We have professional architects, we provide construction management […]