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Corporate Communication 1, 2, 3

by Michael P. Maslanka I spend a lot of time thinking about corporate communication, both internal and external. And here is a bold statement: There is nothing more important. Work gets performed, sales are made, and brands are created, all through communication. Here are some keys. Basic Training for Supervisors Say first what it’s not […]

Training, enforcement key parts of DOL’s proposed budget

The Obama administration’s proposed U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) budget for fiscal year 2015 stresses a continuation of enforcement initiatives from previous years as well as new job training and assistance initiatives. Released on March 4, the budget proposal includes $11.8 billion in discretionary funding for the DOL, $300,000 less than the request in the […]

What to Do When Your Canadian Employee Is Accused of a Crime

By Anthony Houde and Emilie Paquin-Holmested You are quietly sipping your coffee one Saturday morning and flipping through the newspaper. You suddenly stumble upon an article about one of your Canadian employees. He or she has been accused of committing a criminal offense outside the workplace but has not yet been convicted. Your mind races […]

New California law grants domestic workers overtime pay

by Cathleen S. Yonahara A new California law taking effect January 1, 2014, grants overtime pay for at least the next three years to domestic workers who are personal attendants. Under old state law, “personal attendants” are exempt from statutory overtime and meal and rest break provisions, but they are not exempt from minimum wage […]

Are You Actually De-Motivating Your Employees?

Research shows that workers come on the job already motivated, and common business practices rob them of it. The researchers offer some tools to reverse this process. “Most companies have it all wrong. They don’t have to motivate their employees. They have to stop de-motivating them.” With this one attention-getting statement, three researchers recently demolished […]

Disability Discrimination: Court Says Look For Alternative Jobs, Even If Workers Don’t Ask; How To Avoid Accommodation Traps

Your obligation to accommodate disabled workers may be much broader than you think. According to a new California Court of Appeal ruling, if one of your employees becomes disabled and can’t perform their job, you must suggest possible reasonable accommodations-even if the employee doesn’t ask for your assistance. What’s more, you might be required to […]

Appraisals—Lots of Work, Any Benefit?

Appraisers and appraisees alike complain about performance evaluations. They’re a lot of work; they generate a lot of discomfort; and they don’t always produce a clear benefit. In today’s issue, step-by-step recommendations from BLR’s editors. 1. Get the Employee Started. Set a meeting date, and give the employee his or her self-appraisal materials well ahead […]

It’s time to get on the winning side of the sexual orientation issue

by Kylie Crawford, TenBrook Not long ago, I heard a story about George Wallace, Alabama’s governor in the 1960s and one of the leading advocates for Jim Crow laws and segregation. He is well-known for his “stand at the schoolhouse door,” where he attempted to prohibit two black students from registering for classes at the […]

Obama urges swift confirmation of new NLRB nominees

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), crippled by a January court ruling against two recess appointees, has the potential to get back to full strength if the Senate confirms nominations President Barack Obama made April 9. Previous attempts to fill the NLRB have failed over congressional opposition to Board actions and Obama’s nominees. On April […]