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Most human resources professionals understand the importance of a carefully written employee handbook. But sometimes the higher-ups in an organization don’t think about why such a document is advisable. Recently, a group of attorneys from the Employers Counsel Network, which focuses on employment law issues, was asked what to do when a CEO says a […]
By Jane Pfeifle After 29 years, I am leaving the practice of law to become a judge in the 7th Judicial Circuit. As I look back on the past few decades, I want to share some observations of what successful employers do. Fairness reduces the fare Being fair pays off. Employers that treat employees fairly […]
Everybody’s heard the office party horror stories—some merrymakers get drunk, unfortunate comments are made, even more unfortunate outfits are worn, and sometimes somebody even gets hurt. It’s enough to make the human resources department want to retreat to the North Pole until mid-January. Solutions to party woes do exist, however, and even if the party […]
by Ryan B. Frazier Employers sometimes classify employees incorrectly under the law. For example, employees may be treated as independent contractors, who are considered self-employed. Although misclassification may be intentional, it is most often done mistakenly under a belief that workers are properly classified. Employees are misclassified for many reasons. Employers may try to avoid […]
by Dennis Merley Baseball hall of famer Yogi Berra passed away in September at the age of 90. In addition to being a great player for the perennial champion New York Yankees in the 1950s and early 1960s, he was known as a type of clown-prince for his penchant for amusing malapropisms related to baseball […]
by Christopher J. Pyles Many (many) years ago when I was in college, I spent Thanksgiving Day with a bachelor uncle at a football game. In celebration of the season, we bought a frozen turkey on the way home . . . and sadly discovered that you can’t just toss a turkey in the oven […]
Who couldn’t use a cute, cuddly friend at work? One that’s not the least bit judgmental, one that is loyal and devoted, one whose main goal in life is to build you up when the pressures of work get you down. If only your dog could go with you to work. A number of companies […]
by Jamie Brabston As employers prepare to comply with the upcoming information-reporting requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which remain in place after the Supreme Court’s decision in King v. Burwell, Congress snuck higher penalties for failing to meet those requirements into a trade bill. House Resolution (HR) 1295, known as the Trade Preferences […]
What supervisor or human resources professional hasn’t asked the question: Why can’t people work together without deliberately making the working environment insufferable? Why don’t people use their energy to solve differences instead of lashing out in anger? There may be no easy answers to those questions, but understanding why conflict occurs and following a strategy […]
by Jeremy R. Lange Veteran unemployment has been an issue of concern over the past several years. The availability of good jobs for returning veterans has become especially important as the nation has come to better understand the difficulty of transitioning from active duty to life at home. Employment takes on even greater importance when […]