Author: Dan Oswald

Future-Proof Your Organization with Talent Pools

by Joanne Wells, Manager, Learning Center of Excellence, Halogen Software Among the many factors threatening an organization’s future is the threat of suddenly facing critical vacancies and the subsequent disruption in leadership, business continuity, or special knowledge and skills unique to the organization. With looming retirements and the increasing propensity of talented employees to change […]

leadership

Getting the Authority You Want Through Credibility, Influence, and Reach

by Lori Kleiman, CEO of HR Topics  We are seeing a dramatic increase in Human Resources (HR) professionals that are considered a member of the leadership team and impacting the strategic initiatives in their organization. In order to make a full impact, HR leaders need to have the authority to carry out initiatives as part of that […]

Active Listening Allows You to Hear What is Being Said By Dan Oswald

When I was in elementary school, it wasn’t unusual for my report card to come home with a note from the teacher at the bottom that read something like, “Danny is well-behaved, but he must learn not to talk so much in class.” I somehow escaped the “Danny” moniker by middle school, but that’s a […]

class action lawsuit

California’s Top 5 Wage and Hour Risks

The new federal overtime rules, the misclassification of employees, and recordkeeping are among the top five wage and hour risks employers in California face, according to California attorney Marc Jacuzzi of the law firm Simpson, Garrity, Innes & Jacuzzi, PC.

maternity

Parental Leave Bill Is Vetoed

California’s governor vetoed a bill September 30 that would have granted 6 weeks of “parental leave” to some employees in the state. Governor Jerry Brown (D) said in a letter to lawmakers that he was particularly concerned about the impact the law would have on small businesses.

What’s New at Cal/OSHA

The federal Occupational Safety and Health’s (OSHA) reports on deficiencies in state-run OSHA programs were published in September 2010. Cal/OSHA has been working steadily ever since to address federal OSHA’s criticisms—including a criticism that Cal/OSHA had too narrowly drawn the criteria for “repeat” citations and criticisms of Cal/OSHA’s appeals process.

California Adopts Silica Rule, Despite Construction Objections

On March 25, 2016, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finalized its new crystalline silica rule. Despite a court challenge, and over the objections of Cal/OSHA’s construction industry, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) has adopted federal OSHA’s silica rules.

Kansas

10th Circuit: Was Unauthorized Absence Cause for Termination?

The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming—recently ruled in favor of Dillon Companies, Inc., a Kansas corporation that does business as King Soopers, in a lawsuit filed by a former grocery store employee who claimed he suffered a hostile work environment and was terminated because of […]