Month: October 2010

Most HR Failures Come from Ignoring the Basics

There are dozens of picky technical ways to run afoul of employment laws, but more often than not it’s the most fundamental failures that get employers in trouble, say attorneys John K. Skousen and Christopher J. Boman. Unfortunately, Skousen says, employers have the money and the power, so there’s an automatic bias towards them. That […]

Experience: What You Get When You Don’t Get What You Want

I saw a sign the other day that read, “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” It sounded pretty true to me. Sure, you get experience when you succeed, but if you think about it, the truly valuable lessons are learned when we don’t get what we want. This short […]

Lady GaGa’s Door is Open

Litigation Value: More fodder for Darryl’s racial harassment claim and $1,000 to re-write Sabre’s Open Door Policy. Where to begin, where to begin? I knew as soon as I saw the Hallowe’en costumes that we were in for quite an evening. And I must say, I agree with Kelly — can’t Michael just let the employees […]

Debunking Common FMLA Myths

by Joseph C. Pettygrove The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was very complicated when it was originally enacted in 1993. The sheer number of complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the courts since then confirms that employers and employees have long disagreed about how the law applies in their individual […]

You Need a Social Networking Policy Now

By Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR Just My E-pinion Creating a policy about blogging and social networking offers a chance to minimize the risks for employers, says attorney Thomas Deer. It makes employees aware of their employers’ position on the use of social media, and it provides a reference point if it is necessary to take […]

Early Warning Signs of Union Organizing

How do you know if a union is trying to organize your employees? Speaking at BLR’s National Employment Law Update in Las Vegas (Oct. 27-29, 2010) attorney Mark Ricciardi, managing partner of the Las Vegas office of Fisher & Phillips, LLP, gave attendees a checklist for identifying the signs of an organizational campaign:

Tough Conversations: ‘I can’t live on what you’re paying me’

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered the basics of dealing with tough compensation questions. Today, more tough questions, and an introduction to a unique 10-minute training system. Today’s tips are again from a recent BLR webinar featuring Teresa Murphy and David Wudyka. Murphy is the principal consultant for HR Partner Advantage, an HR advisory firm based […]

NLRB Issues Decisions on Electronic Notice, Compound Interest

Yesterday, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) released two decisions dealing with remedial policies. The first decision addressed compounding interest on back pay, and the second dealt with electronically notifying employees and union members about NLRB orders in unfair labor practice cases. In Kentucky River Medical Center, 356 NLRB No. 8, the NLRB unanimously adopted […]

Where’s My Raise?—How to Handle Tough Pay Conversations

We’ve gone through two tough years for compensation, and 2011 isn’t shaping up to be much better. And that means another year of tough questions from employees. Teresa Murphy and David Wudyka have some ideas about how to make those conversations go a little better. Murphy is the principal consultant for HR Partner Advantage, an […]

Overtime Class-Action News

By Donna Gallant The much-awaited appeal decision in Fresco v. CIBC was released in September. The appeal court declined to interfere with the original decision of Justice Lax. She had denied Dara Fresco’s bid to bring a class action against CIBC for unpaid overtime. This is one of three high-profile cases we have been following, […]