Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
President Bush has vetoed legislation that, among other things, would have amended the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to permit employees to use leave in certain circumstances when their spouse, child, or parent is called for active duty in the military. The FMLA amendment was part of a broader defense measure, H.R. 1585.
Because class action status can change a small comp issue into a massive lawsuit—one very attractive to contingency lawyers—Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) lapses could be your most dangerous mistakes. Here are 10 of the most common management moves that create Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) disasters. (Pay attention because you don’t want to be […]
By Karen Sargeant and Brian P. Smeenk You’ve likely been in this situation before: One of your employees has engaged in questionable conduct. You’re in the process of investigating and are considering whether you should terminate the employee for cause. How do you go about it under Canadian employment laws? Be careful Terminating an employee’s […]
Last issue we talked about Imus, Dog, and supervisors who are “diversity dinosaurs.” But how about the case where your dinosaur is also your best producer? Here’s help from a program that can keep the productivity, while losing the negative attitudes. Initially, it sounds like a difficult choice—your rules on discrimination and harassment or your […]
The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times on January 14. 1. Jim Cramer’s Stay Mad For Life By James L. Cramer The hyper-active host of CNBC’s “Mad Money” offers his prescription for striking it rich for life. 2. The Age of Turbulence By Alan […]
What once was acceptable workplace behavior and humor no longer is. And if some in your company don’t know it, there’s a world of Internet onlookers ready to tell them so. After a trying morning, Jack, usually a calm and restrained manager, lost it at the office. He screamed at his workers, and threw a […]
by Stuart R. Buttrick Although the types of misconduct that employees can engage in is unlimited, some disciplinary issues occur over and over again. Among the most common — and difficult — issues for employers to handle are drug and alcohol use, insubordination, and workplace searches of company or employee property. This article will offer […]
by D. Michael Henthorne In this second part of a two-part series, I examine the unusual figurative relationship between union-free policy statements, the human nature of employees and employers, and a neglected utility closet. In the first article, I described a large utility closet located on the carport adjacent to my house. Once an ideal […]
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Employers are typically reluctant to give pay raises to new hires, especially because of compression issues, but one expert our CEO heard at a recent HR conference says, “Raise ’em or lose ’em.” As new employees learn, their value increases quickly as their output reaches that of an […]
We have a service repair technician who is required to repair 12 instruments a year, but due to a three-month Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) absence was only able to repair six. May we view him as an unsatisfactory performer and reduce his merit raise? — Anonymous