Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Hadiya Roderique Even in the “Northern Exposure” zones of Canada, employees commonly have access to the Internet at work. Many use the Internet for personal reasons during work time. Many employers are concerned about the loss of productivity resulting from excessive personal use of the Internet. A number of employers have attempted to characterize […]
by Peter A. Jones Few would question that the world has changed. Collectively, social media, unlimited Internet access, and a shift in the way news is gathered and reported have created a different and challenging environment when employees go “public.” Indeed, the very definition of what constitutes “news” is constantly evolving, as is the news […]
by Charlie Plumb Effective November 1, 2012, Oklahoma handgun owners will be permitted to carry their firearms more freely than before. Yet contrary to some popular belief, the state’s new “open carry” bill (SB 1733) does have limitations. Though some employees may believe they now will have the right to carry guns while at work, […]
Employers likely will need to continue to pay close attention to how their individual states’ approach to same-sex marriage will affect their employee benefit plans, regardless of President Obama’s newly articulated support for it. The president on May 9 said that he supports same-sex marriage, but also that the states should be able to decide […]
Whether an employee is exempt from the FLSA has been a turbulent topic this year, as both DOL and Congress have been issuing proposals and bills regarding exempt jobs. DOL has been involved with the status of pharmaceutical representatives, in-home caregivers and children working on farms. Although no changes have yet been made to the […]
Recently, we had an interesting discussion in our weekly executive meeting. At our company, we’re just wrapping up our annual performance evaluations. We were talking about how the process went this year and what we could do to improve it. One of our senior team members said our evaluation system can actually hurt morale. Here’s […]
Employers and employees have seen gas prices rise to alarming levels, then ease a bit only to head back up again in a seemingly endless cycle. While pump prices hover in the $3 to $4 range, forecasters hint that $5 a gallon or higher prices may be in the future. The direction gas prices will […]
As the U.S. Supreme Court decides the fate of health reform, America is getting the chance to try the law on for size while waiting for the people in the robes to say how much of it will remain in effect. Some employers are probably soft-pedaling implementation – they don’t like the law much anyway, […]
The results of a recent survey of our employees here at BLR are in and, frankly, I’m concerned. You see, our survey contained 27 statements about our work environment. The employees were asked whether they agreed with each statement and how strongly they agree or disagree with it. The statements covered individual, departmental, and company-wide […]
It may seem like an easy decision to fire an employee who is disruptive at work, shows up late or not at all, and keeps coworkers on edge all the time. It’s also an easy decision for an employer to go to great lengths to hold on to an employee who is talented, creative, passionate, […]