Tag: BLR

The Downside of Sign-Up Bonuses

Sign-on bonuses often do make the difference between acceptance and rejection of an offer, says consultant Chuck Csizmar, CCP, but there are a few caveats. Csizmar, who is founder and principal of CMC Compensation Group, offered his tips at a recent BLR-sponsored webinar. Some Csizmar’s negatives to using bonuses: Using them may establish an unwanted […]

Comp Thinking That Pleases the CFO and the CEO

Rather than basing promotions and their associated salary increases on acquired knowledge and certifications, says Epps, who is managing partner of EP2S Compensation Solutions, LLC, base them on competencies. A competency-based job evaluation system is a method of structuring and evaluating broadly defined jobs based on a demonstrated level of job complexity and job accountability, […]

Labor Law Under Obama or Romney–Employers Brace for Post-Election Changes

For today’s topic of likely labor law and NLRB actions after the election we turned to Patricia M. Trainor, J.D., SPHR, BLR’s Senior Managing Editor for HR. Here’s her take: Until recently most nonunionized employers knew little about National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or the Board) activities.  This was simply because that federal agency had […]

A New Mentoring Model for Training the Next Generation

The new mentoring depends on a reciprocal learning relationship, she says. Zachary, author of The Mentor’s Guide and The Mentee’s Guide to Mentoring, presents seven elements of successful mentoring programs. 1. Reciprocity In the new mentoring, there is equal engagement of both parties. Both have responsibilities, both have roles to play, and both have something […]

The 10 Times You Should Offer a Signing Bonus

Can I offer a bonus? Should I offer a bonus? How big should it be? Confusion often reigns, says Csizmar, who is founder and principal of CMC Compensation Group. Sign-On Bonuses Are Like Wallpaper Csizmar says the sign-on bonus is wallpaper used to cover cracks in the employment offer. It says, We know our offer […]

Train Your Trainers Not To Make These Mistakes

Weiss is director of Seyfarth Shaw at Work, a legal compliance training company associated with the Seyfarth Shaw law firm. His remarks originally appeared in our sister publication, the HR Manager’s Legal Reporter. What Can Go Wrong Weiss suggested that trainers check to be sure they avoid the following common problems: Training from the Bottom […]

Are Your Trainers Well Trained?

Weiss is director of Seyfarth Shaw at Work, a legal compliance training company associated with the Seyfarth Shaw law firm. He says that courts (and opposing attorneys) will explore such things as the content of the training course, how much money is spent on training, and the trainer’s background and competency. His remarks originally appeared […]

More Safety Training Q & As

Q. We have a safety meeting that all employees attend. Are the hours attending the safety meeting considered "hours worked" for overtime purposes? A. Training programs conducted during regular working hours constitute work time and must be compensated as such, according to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). After-hours training need not be compensated […]

Publish Your Political Activity Policy Now! (Here Are Two Samples)

Here’s sample Political Activity Policy number one: Employees are not to participate in election activities while working and are not to use company facilities to engage in election activities. When not on company premises, representing the company or using company resources, an employee’s personal conduct is his or her own to regulate. Employees are encouraged […]

You’re Going to Ban Political Discussion? (Good Luck …)

In a BusinessWeek article, Bruce Weinstein, PhD., who calls himself “The Ethics Guy,” says that most political issues are by their nature highly divisive. At stake in this year’s presidential election, he adds, are such questions as these, all guaranteed to have the potential for controversy: Should abortion continue to be legal? Should same-sex marriage […]