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Equal opportunity offender

No discussion of the film Horrible Bosses is complete without covering Kevin Spacey’s character, David Harken. Although he is arguably the most intimidating and even frightening of the three horrible bosses (two of which I covered in earlier posts, #1 and #2), his workplace conduct gives rise to the lowest litigation value from an employment […]

Expert answers on employee leaves of absence in California

At the end of a recent CER webinar on FMLA/CFRA certifications, Allen Kato fielded several questions from employers related to leaves of absence in California. Topics included requiring notice for intermittent leave, timing of receipt of certification, and employee requirements when calling out of work

Is Giving Shoes Away a Great Business Strategy?

Giving feels good on its own, says TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie, but it’s also a great business strategy. TOMS’ one-for-one philosophy (the company gives away a pair of shoes for every pair it sells) has led it to success, he says. Mycoskie announced at the recent SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago that […]

Does Training Millennials Differ from Training Employees of Other Generations?

“There is a cultural aspect of the times you’ve grown up in,” says Beth N. Carvin, CEO and president of Nobscot Corporation (www.nobscot.com). With Millennials, “it’s just become much faster paced. Whether it’s because of video games or the Internet, everything moves faster. “From a training perspective, we have to be aware that we need […]

Do credit and criminal checks discriminate against minorities?

Over the past few years, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has aggressively challenged the use of credit reports and criminal history checks in hiring decisions, alleging that use of the information results in a discriminatory impact on candidates in protected groups. In 2012, the commission successfully negotiated a $3.13 million prelawsuit settlement of a […]

Why Accurate Documentation in Performance Evaluations Is Important

Documentation of performance evaluations can easily become evidence against an employer in a trial, such as a wrongful termination case or a discrimination case. This fact underlines the importance of ensuring that managers and supervisors understand the legal ramifications of what goes on the record. These personnel files and performance reviews could just as easily […]

Face It—Facebook Employees Eat Well

As you eat your PB&J out of a sandwich bag, you may want to log onto Facebook to view what the workers at Facebook are dining on in their café—and salivate! Yes, Mark and Sheryl have given their Culinary Team their own Facebook page where the day’s specials are posted—and, of course, the choices are […]

Can a Sense of Humor Win over a Hiring Manager? Survey Says, ‘Yes’

What makes you want to hire a job applicant? A new study looked beyond the typical attributes, like background, certifications, etc., and found that a sense of humor, an eye for fashion, or even knowledge of pop culture can influence a hiring manager’s decision. The nationwide CareerBuilder study asked employers if they had two equally […]

Hot SBTs from Summer 2013

As the fall season is creeping in, we thought it would be an appropriate time to take a moment to look back over the past few months. For those of you who might have missed them, here are the 10 most popular Strange But True! stories from this summer. You Are What You Wear—Not surprisingly, […]