Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Many wellness programs fail, say experts Lynda F. Jeppesen & Travis Dent, but there is a way to design a program that gets maximum involvement, great payback, and widespread employee appreciation. Jeppesen and Dent made their comments at the SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition held recently in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jeppesen, who is SPHR certified, […]
Now that the dust is settling over the nationwide class-action disability discrimination lawsuit Verizon settled with the EEOC, we at the SmartHRManager blog wanted to ask HR professionals what this settlement means to their companies. To help you answer that question, take a look at the consent decree’s corporate improvement plan, which highlights what Verizon […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, plaintiff’s attorney Whitney Warner gave us tips from “the enemy,” that is, a successful plaintiffs’ attorney. Today, more of her tips, plus an introduction to a 24/7 leadership training program that won’t break the bank. Warner, who is SPHR certified, is the founding partner of Moody and Warner PC in Albuquerque, New […]
The number one thing that makes a lawsuit attractive to a plaintiff’s lawyer? When no reason is given for a termination. In today’s Advisor, advice from the other side of the courtroom—plaintiff’s attorney Whitney Warner spills about the management mistakes she looks for in planning legal actions against companies like yours. Warner, who is SPHR […]
Employers should tread carefully when deciding not to offer COBRA continuation coverage due to “gross misconduct,” as a recent court case reminds. Here, a federal district court in Ohio held that a former employee’s conviction due to a sex offense, which led to his employment termination, was not yet enough to deny COBRA coverage due […]
Before terminating or taking any other adverse action against an employee, employers must consider not only whether the employee is in a protected category, but also whether the employee’s friends or family are, too. Lawsuits alleging discrimination or retaliation by association appear to be on the rise, an attorney warned attendees at the Society for Human Resource […]
Pop quiz. Do you think it’s safe to discipline or terminate an employee for being absent or tardy too often? For driving a truck even though he knew he was likely to have an epileptic seizure soon? For throwing her performance improvement plan across the room and hurling profanities at the supervisor who gave it […]
Sir Richard Branson, founder and owner of the British branded Virgin Group, doesn’t think much of American flextime policies. He calls the amount of holidays “horrendous,” while the stingy vacation time bars employees from spending the quality time with their families and children that they need to reenergize. Sir Richard’s comments came at the 2011 […]
Can appraisals be fun? Well, probably not, but they can be less uncomfortable and more effective. Why do managers shy away from appraisals? They don’t like to deliver negative news. Here’s a simple system that will help. Goals: The Critical First Step Take the time to set meaningful goals for each employee. Without goals and […]
As if union elections weren’t a hassle already, the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) has proposed new procedures to “fix the flaws” in the current system. Here’s what they want to accomplish: The proposed amendments are designed to fix flaws in the Board’s current procedures that: build in unnecessary delays encourage wasteful litigation reflect old-fashioned […]