Month: May 2014

Former POW Shares 8 Leadership Lessons for Today’s Managers

On November 7, 1967, 1st Lieutenant Lee Ellis was shot down over North Vietnam. He would spend the next 5-plus years as a POW. Not only did he survive the North Vietnamese prison camps but he also remained in the military after his release, finally retiring as a colonel. And his combat decorations include two […]

The Trouble with ‘Twibel’: A New Social Media Headache for Employers

You may feel like a twit when it comes to your understanding of Twitter, but it is time to add the word “Twibel” to your company’s vocabulary — and more importantly, to your overall social media strategy, says Porter Wright employment law attorney Sara Jodka. Libel occurs when someone prints a false and malicious statement […]

FAQs Describe How Plans, Administrators Will Pay Reinsurance Contributions

On May 22, CMS issued guidance (registration required) describing how plans, third-party administrators and insurers will pay reinsurance contributions required under health care reform for the next three years. The guidance says a contributing entity can complete all required steps for the reinsurance contributions process on Pay.gov, including registration, submission of the annual enrollment count and remittance of […]

Performance Appraisals—10 Most Common Sins

Sin #1. Failure to set meaningful goals “Well, Sandy, I think we did fairly well this year, eh?” “Tracy, I was sort of hoping you’d make more progress this year.” Evaluation is difficult when there aren’t clear, measurable goals. Many experts recommend the S-M-A-R-T approach to setting goals. That means goals should be: Specific Measurable […]

Consider Training on Cyberbullying

Left unaddressed, cyberbullying can become a liability issue for employers, says Rob Wilson, president of Employco USA (www.employco.com), who recommends that employers educate employees on the topic. Many employers do not offer this type of training. “It’s not very broadly done,” says Wilson. However, he says it is important for employers to proactively address cyberbullying. […]

Overhauling overtime

by Adam P. Boyd The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes basic rights and wage protections, including overtime pay requirements, for American workers. The majority of workers covered by the Act must be paid 1 1/2 times their regular pay rate for all hours worked in excess of 40 per workweek.  On March 13, President […]

5 More Leadership Lessons for Your Leaders

According to Matt Tenney, author of Serve to Be Great: Leadership Lessons from a Prison, a Monastery, and a Boardroom (Wiley, May 2014), when managers develop both the aspiration and the ability to more effectively serve and care for the people on their teams, these managers can become leaders people actually want to follow. Let’s […]

Inspired by a Profound Moment at the Austin Airport

As the sound grows louder, it’s clear that whoever is playing the instrument is drawing closer. In the distance, I can see a man in a plaid kilt walking down the hall toward where I’m sitting. And as he draws nearer, the people to my left rise to their feet. I, too, must stand—if only […]