Month: November 2008

We’ve Come a Long Way (Except for Michael and Dwight)

Litigation Value: $50,000. In this week’s episode of The Office, Michael Scott is on camera calling Kelly Kapoor dusky and exotic, and then Dwight Schrute, the assistant to the regional manager, refers to her southern India birth before he threatens her. A jury somewhere will find against Dunder Mifflin for race discrimination. Of course, that […]

Who’s to Blame for America’s Economic Disaster? Not HR?!

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady What’s HR’s role with regard to executive compensation and the current economic crisis? BLR CEO and founder Bob Brady asks for your help with a brief poll. WorldatWork, the organization for compensation professionals, recently issued a statement outlining its views about executive compensation for companies getting economic assistance […]

8 Strategies for Retaining Techies (and the Rest of Us)

Recruiting techie talent is all about understanding what they are looking for—and that’s true for recruiting any type of talent. In yesterday’s Advisor, we learned how retention gives a boost to recruiting; today, “techie” retention tips and an introduction to a unique new way to manage the first step of recruiting–job descriptions. Here are techie […]

Court Gives Employee Extra Time to File Bias Charge

When an employee with a discrimination beef voluntarily pursues an internal administrative remedy—such as a grievance or complaint procedure—prior to filing a discrimination complaint under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), does that extend the time the employee has to file a FEHA charge? The California Supreme Court, in a new case, says […]

Recruiting Techie Talent (The Rules Work for ‘Other’ Talent, Too)

Recruiting techie talent is all about understanding what they are looking for—and that’s true for recruiting any type of talent. First, let’s look at a survey that recruiting firm Dice, which specializes in technology and engineering employees, recently conducted among more than 650 passive and active information technology (IT) candidates. What’s Missing from Job Postings? […]

Facing Up to Facebook and Other Social Networking Web Sites in the Workplace

by Brian Smeenk What if one of your employees reports to you he is very upset about what a coworker (“John”) wrote in a social networking web site about their boss? The statements are false and injure the boss’ reputation. If seen widely, they would be hurtful to the boss’ family. You are shown the […]

Since When Is Your Office Surf City?

Yesterday’s Advisor offered tips for controlling surfing on company time; today we’ve got a list of key issues to consider when you write your Internet policy. Here, from BLR’s popular SmartPolicies, are particular topics to consider for your policy on Internet usage: Security. Are all files downloaded from the Internet scanned for viruses? Are hard […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times on November 3. 1. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder. The life of Warren Buffett. 2. Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution–and How It Can Renew America […]

Web Surfing at Work–Can You Stop It?

It seems that no matter how many times you remind employees to stop personal use of the Internet, they keep on surfing. Today’s expert has solutions. Internet usage at work is tough one, says Laura E. Innes, a partner at the law firm of Simpson, Garrity & Innes in South San Francisco. But there are […]