Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Peter D. Lowe On Tuesday, 53 percent of Mainers voted to allow same-sex marriage. Question 1, which asked “Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples,” was an indirect initiative. That means that because supporters collected the required number of signatures by January 2012 and the […]
by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. By an almost 2-1 margin, Albuquerque voters overwhelmingly approved a measure on the city ballot Tuesday that will raise the minimum wage from $7.50 per hour to $8.50 per hour effective January 1. The unofficial vote was 138,000 to 70,699. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25. The measure also […]
by Tammy Binford The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has extended the deadline for federal contractors and subcontractors to file their VETS-100 and/or 100A reports because of the effects of Hurricane Sandy. The deadline was extended from October 31 to November 9. All paper reports and electronic files in the 2012 cycle are now due […]
The latest reports coming out of the northeast say that there are at least 7 million people without power because of Hurricane Sandy, and that number is expected to grow before it gets better. So when you close your business because of bad weather or power outages, are you required to pay employees? Here are […]
Michigan voters will decide the fate of two initiatives in the November 6 election that can change the climate toward collective bargaining and union organization in the state. One initiative–Proposal 2, dubbed the “Protect our Jobs” proposal–is a union-backed measure asking voters to pass a constitutional amendment guaranteeing workers the right to bargain collectively. If […]
In a business brief, the National Network for Sector Partners (NNSP) explains how profiled employers achieved significant bottom line benefits by undertaking innovative training and career development efforts that are targeted at their lower-skilled, lower-wage workers. From Hidden Costs to High Returns: Unlocking the Potential of the Lower-Wage Workforce is based on structural interviews with […]
by Charlie Plumb An Oklahoma law going into effect on November 1 allows employees to store ammunition in their locked vehicles parked at work. A key aspect of Oklahoma’s Self-Defense Act allows people with valid gun licenses to carry handguns openly as well as concealed weapons in many public places. But another part of the […]
Just as “Lean” has helped cut waste in manufacturing and other industries, it can help training departments reduce waste and make training more effective, says Todd Hudson. In today’s Advisor, Hudson shows how to apply “Lean” principles to your training program. The basic concept of Lean in the corporate learning context is that “people should […]
by Tammy Binford The September 28 shootings that killed six at a Minneapolis business put employers on notice that workplace violence can occur with no warning. Other times, though, there are signs that employers should heed. The October issue of Minnesota Employment Law Letter contains an article titled “Employers look anew at preventing violence in […]
Trainers need to spend more time thinking about how they are going to teach than what they are going to teach, says Vicki Halsey, Ph.D. (www.vickihalsey.com), author of Brilliance by Design: Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and ENGAGE (Berrett-Koehler, 2011), and vice president of applied learning at The Ken Blanchard Companies. Trainers tend to […]