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Are you prepared for a search warrant?

by Deanah Shelly You’ve watched True Detective and Law & Order. You’ve seen search warrants in action. The police need them to gather evidence involving murder, illegal drugs, and firearms. But beware! Search warrants can also be served on your workplace.

Don’t leave older workers out of retention plans

Employers nowadays may feel bombarded with advice on how to retain millennial employees. Those younger workers have the reputation of moving from job to job, so employers wanting to get the most from the investment they make in their youngest employees put a lot of energy into encouraging them to stay. But what about older […]

Don’t let Confederate flags lead to interoffice civil war

by Connor Beatty While enjoying a scenic drive along the Maine coast recently, I was startled to come across a giant Confederate flag prominently displayed in a house’s front yard. Less than a week later, a client contacted our firm to ask for advice in responding to an employee’s claim that a vehicle with a […]

Premier teamwork: Soccer champs’ victory offers lessons for HR pros

by Peter Lowe They were a rag-tag group of has-beens, rejects, and journeymen. They were hired at low wages and with even lower expectations. A recently fired 64-year-old Italian was hired to manage them. They enjoyed a 138-year history, yet no history of success. The odds of the team winning the championship were 5,000 to […]

Preventing discrimination against Muslim and Middle Eastern workers

by Anna C. Lukeman In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has warned employers to be proactive and take measures against discrimination aimed at those who are or are perceived to be either Muslim or Middle Eastern.   In her statement to address this […]

Employers may be required to accommodate unhygienic employees

by Deanna L. Forbush Most employers have several policies explaining their expectations for employee appearance and hygiene. The policies generally include topics such as appearance, dress, disruption of the workplace, health and safety, and interaction with other employees. Appearance and hygiene policies are generally published in an employer’s personnel handbook.   Many employers require employees to […]

‘Man up’: Sex discrimination claim goes to trial based on supervisor’s comments

by Stephen W. Jones The 8th Circuit recently reversed an Arkansas federal district court’s decision to dismiss a store manager’s sex discrimination claims. The appellate court indicated that a trial must be held to determine whether a district manager who allegedly made certain sexist comments to the store manager was a decision maker and, if […]

Visual Aids in Training

Visual aids can be a great help in keeping trainees engaged, but they’re also easy to misuse. What are some common mistakes that trainers make with visual aids, and what best practices should trainers follow to avoid those mistakes?

Olympics Offer Important Lessons for All of Us

I was watching the 2016 Summer Olympic Games with my family over the weekend. I can’t help but get caught up in everything they represent. There is a certain amount of patriotism that comes with each Olympics as we cheer on the athletes from the United States. I’m sure there are moments we can all […]

Moonlighting the new norm? Time for employers to face the future

Many industrious office workers may be more industrious than their employers realize. In fact, after putting in time at their primary jobs, a lot of those workers rush off to other jobs—jobs that help them make ends meet or build savings, or maybe they work a second job to pursue a passion. Whatever the reason, […]