Tag: BLR

Yes, You Can Train in 10 Minutes!

All across the business world, long, meandering meetings are the most universally disparaged part of the day. However, some organizations have found success in beating the endless meeting … with mini-meetings they call “10-minute stand-ups.” Yesterday, we went over how the Washington State Department of Personnel (DOP), the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and Agile Software use […]

Parental Leave Now Mandated Under Military Exigency FMLA

The Final FMLA rule makes four changes (or clarifications) to the listed qualifying exigencies, says Schoenfeld, Senior Legal Editor on BLR’s human resources team. Clarifies that, for the purposes of leave for childcare and school activities, the child must be the military member’s child or a child for whom the military member stands in loco […]

Can You Really Train in 10 Minutes?

What do the Washington State Department of Personnel (DOP), Agile Software, and the Ritz Carlton Hotels have in common? All use the “10-Minute Stand-Up”—a no-chairs-allowed daily meeting to beat the endless meeting syndrome. Washington State DOP At the Washington State DOP, the meetings take time—but not much—to: Recap the previous day’s results. Review plans for […]

FMLA: DOL Throws Surprise Birthday Party—Final Regs Issued

Just what we were hoping for—more complicated regulations. The Final Rule, says Schoenfeld, which addresses family military leave and airline flight crew rules, will change the way in which covered employers administer family leave for servicemember caregivers and employees with family members in the military. Schoenfeld is a Senior Legal Editor on BLR’s human resources […]

Retirement Survey Results–How Do You Compare?

Only 33% of those who answered the question, however, automatically enroll employees, though 2.5% plan to implement auto-enrollment in the future. Other survey highlights: Most common match amount is up to 6% of salary (25% of respondents). Nearly half (48%) of employers offer more than 15 investment options. 26% plan to add a defined contribution […]

ACA Will Make Wellness Even More Important

Your wellness program may get much more important under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), says Morris, a member of the firm Epstein Becker Green in its Washington, D.C., office who specializes in benefits. There are already many benefits to wellness programs, but Morris is convinced they will become even more crucial as the ACA unfolds […]

Train Employees to Use the Internet Securely

The “2012 NCSA/Symantec National Small Business Study” (www.staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/resources) was conducted by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and Symantec. The study found that 87 percent of small businesses have at least one employee who uses the Internet daily. In addition, 70 percent of owners/operators of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the United States indicated […]

People Are People, Not Human Resources

Oswald, CEO of BLR®, offered his thoughts on leadership and people in a recent edition of The Oswald Letter. Elvis—only his first name is necessary—is still the second best-selling artist of all time (only behind The Beatles), and he’s been dead for more than 35 years! Somehow we elevate these people to godlike status, but […]

Use PowerPoint® for Effective Learning—not Just Effective Presentation

PowerPoint helps trainers organize and present training content effectively, but it “is a lousy tool for learning, at least when it’s used the way most presenters and trainers use it: as a visual display of lecture notes,” says Sharon L. Bowman, MA, a professional speaker and trainer and president of Bowperson Publishing & Training, Inc. […]

Can You Transfer Employees on FMLA? Yes … Sometimes

Alexis, Of Counsel at the Kinaga Law Firm in Los Angeles, offered his FMLA tips at BLR’s Advanced Employment Issues Symposium held recently in Las Vegas. Transferring Employees on Intermittent Leave or Reduced-Schedule Leave There are only two situations in which employers may transfer employees to another job that better accommodates their new intermittent schedule, […]