Most Popular

Provincial labor force differences across Canada

by Brian P. Smeenk Canada is a diverse country. Its ten provinces and three territories are endowed with varying natural resources and have developed their own industrial infrastructures and labour markets. Nevertheless, education is always a major factor in the ability to find a job. So commences a very interesting, recently published study by Statistics […]

The most homogenous place on Earth?

by Mark I. Schickman Remembering that employment discrimination has been illegal for less than 50 years, workplace accommodation has come a long way. The first accommodation laws protected people with cancer, back when cancer was feared to be contagious. The law was put to the test when it was applied to protect people infected with […]

3 Questions About Your Attitude Toward Your Job

Do you have a passion for your work? I mean, do you really love what you do? I was at a conference recently and one of the speakers really grabbed my attention. What he had to say was interesting but not earth-shattering. His presentation and speaking style were strong, but that’s still not what caught my […]

Big Help for the Small HR Department

HR departments as small as one face big challenges. Here’s a program especially designed to help them. The recent brouhaha in Washington over whether a raise in the minimum wage should include special tax breaks for small business brought up again, in our minds, the issue of the smaller HR department. In countless businesses, usually […]

OFCCP Gives Employers Until Feb. 21 to Respond to Quota for Hiring Workers With Disabilities

Federal contractors  have an additional two weeks — until Feb. 21 — to respond to the Labor Department’s proposal establishing goals for hiring workers with disabilities. In December, Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs released proposed regulations that would require federal contractors to aim to have 7 percent of their workforce be individuals with […]

Smart Comp Strategies for Small Employers: How to Maximize Your Budget

Smaller businesses often can’t afford the resources that larger competitors can, says compensation expert David Wudyka, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have an effective compensation program. What’s Different About “Small Business”? When it comes to running compensation, small business have several challenges, says Wudyka, who is managing principal of Westminster Associates in Wrentham, Massachusetts. […]

Survey Identifies Four Factors that Control Healthcare Cost Increases

A recent survey of 585 businesses identified major growth in companies offering high deductible healthcare plans, and noted four ways to restrain cost increases. Once upon a time, if you worked for a good company and you got sick, you went to any doctor, hospital, or pharmacy and handed them your health plan card. That […]

Employers Face Decisions for 2010 While Health Care Reform Is Debated

Employers’ HR and benefits teams are facing the question of what to do in response to pending health care reform. Competing health care proposals are being hotly debated by Congress and the White House in Washington, D.C., and by legislators and their constituents around the country. The debate presents the full range of options, from […]

2nd Circuit Mandates Supervision over FLSA Private Settlements

By Zachary D. Morahan, JD Most employers and their legal counsel are used to settling wage and hour claims in a simple and straightforward manner. Other than an agreement containing the appropriate terms and conditions, not much more was needed to settle such a claim before litigation began. With the exception of getting a case […]

Wellness on a Shoestring—Programs that Any Boss Will Fund

Most everyone in HR is convinced that wellness programs are cost effective and good for the organization (and the employees), but that doesn’t mean that management wants to shell out for wellness. Today we share low- and no-cost wellness tips. First, from the Fort Worth Business Press, Jacqueline Benavidez, a client wellness coordinator at McQueary […]