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Cutting Corners When Cutting Employee’s Hours Can Cost Employers

As surely as the word “layoffs” have become part of nervous break room conversations in companies across the country, enterprising employers have sought out creative alternatives to the standard layoff regime of cost-cutting. Using tactics such as hiring freezes, offers of unpaid leave, shortened workweeks, and even pay cuts, employers may be able to avoid […]

Do You Need to Pump?

Employment law attorney Dominic Verstegen discusses Dunder Mifflin’s liability for Michael Scott’s actions in the “Lecture Circuit” episode of “The Offfice” should Karen decide to sue for pregnancy discrimination. Litigation Value: $200,000 Although there were several objectionable/actionable incidents on the Lecture Circuit (Part I) episode of The Office, what stood out to me was Michael’s […]

E-mail Annoyances: Readers Reply (But not Reply to All!)

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady BLR CEO and founder Bob Brady recently wrote about some of the more annoying aspects of meetings and e-mail exchanges, and he asked you to send in your top e-mail annoyances. Boy, did he ever push a hot button! Here is just sampling of the responses we received. […]

Discipline—Don’t Let Supervisors Go It Alone

Don’t let your supervisors discipline employees on their own, says attorney Jeffrey Wortman. Keep HR involved. Supervisors and managers about to impose discipline are often frustrated, angry, and at the end of their ropes. That’s not a good place for clear thinking and rational discipline. Wortman, a partner in the Los Angeles office of national […]

Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter’s Guide

Employment law attorney Michael Maslanka reviews the book Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter’s Guide by Brian Fugere, Chelsea Hardaway, and Jon Warshawsky. An HR professional’s role is more than a legal one. You are often your company’s voice. And to help your company find its voice, you should read Why Business People […]

New Supervisors Too Eager to Be ‘Real Boss’?

New supervisors are eager to show that they are “boss,” and they may think that harsh discipline is the way to establish themselves. That is often not the best way to get individuals moving and to keep up department morale, says attorney Jeffrey Wortman. Achieving fairness in discipline is a balancing act, and new supervisors […]

Key Considerations for a Business Visit to Canada

by Gilda Villaran U.S. companies doing business in Canada often have to send some of their U.S. employees on business trips to Canada. When making arrangements for a trip to Canada, immigration requirements for admission into Canada are certainly not what the U.S. employer thinks about first. On the contrary, at the very last minute, […]

8 Do’s and Don’ts for Job Descriptions in ‘09

Yesterday’s Advisor covered legal issues with job descriptions; today’s issue features key do’s and don’ts and introduces an extraordinary resource of prewritten job descriptions. Here are BLR’s editors’ do’s and don’ts for worthwhile job descriptions that will really support HR operations. 1. DO give specifics For example, rather than stating that a maintenance worker “keeps […]

New I-9 Form Delayed for 60 Days

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a 60-day delay in implementing the new Form I-9 for employment eligibility verification for new hires. The new I-9 forms were to take effect February 2, but a seemingly last-minute decision was made on January 30 to delay implementation of the I-9 forms and their accompanying […]

Hot List: Bestselling Management and Leadership Books on Amazon.com

Amazon.com updates its list of the bestselling business books every hour. Here is a snapshot of what is hot right now, this Monday morning, February 2, in the “Management and Leadership” category. 1. The Great Depression Ahead: How to Prosper in the Crash Following the Greatest Boom in History by Harry S. Dent. Dent explains […]