Tag: human resources

Deputy Terminated During Training Period Points to Racial Bias

What Happened The Warrick County, Indiana, sheriff hired “Connor” as a reserve deputy sheriff in November 2003. Connor received promotions to part-time—and, later, full-time—dispatcher before becoming a full-time deputy sheriff in August 2007. All new deputies are required to complete a 1-year probationary period during which field training officers (FTOs) teach them basic law-enforcement techniques. […]

Financial Education Programs Address Negative Impact on Work Performance

Among the nearly 460 HR professionals surveyed by SHRM, 52% reported that their organization teaches employees about financial planning—down from 64% in a similar survey 2 years ago. Types of Programs Offered Of organizations that offer financial education, 79% provide access to financial counseling and resources via their employee assistance program, SHRM found. Meanwhile, 68% […]

Ask the Trainer: Language Learning

A: In today’s multicultural workplace and economy, it is important for many employees to become multilingual. With companies of all sizes connecting with colleagues and clients across the globe via Skype, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, language training is playing an increasingly important role, says Michael Schutzler, CEO of Livemocha (www.livemocha.com), which describes itself as the […]

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Human Resources–STILL Not a Strategic Partner?

Meanwhile, at the same conference, consultant Hunter Lott says he often hears, “HR, the people that keep me from doing what I want to do.” Where Is HR Really? Mundy, Vice President, Human Resources and Communications for the Climate Solutions sector of Ingersoll Rand, asserts that one of the problems is that HR managers lack […]

Lack of Training Could Doom Social Media Efforts

SHRM’s definition of social networking services and multimedia platforms includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and other video-sharing sites, MySpace, Foursquare, Second Life, and photo-sharing applications.  The “Social Media in the Workplace” survey found that 68% of participants have employees who use social media to reach external audiences, such as current customers, potential customers, and potential […]

Security Officer Claims Retaliation After Firearms Trainer Sexually Harassed Him

A male security officer alleged that a male firearms trainer sexually harassed him and that he became the victim of retaliation when he complained of the harassment. What Happened In February 2002, “Clark” started working as a security officer at a nuclear power plant in Buchanan, New York—initially as an employee of Wackenhut Services, Inc., […]

What Employers—and Employees—Can Do to Help Close the Skills Gap

That was among the findings of “The Accenture Skills Gap Study,” an online survey of more than 1,000 employed and unemployed workers recently conducted by Accenture (www.accenture.com). The study also found that 52 percent of survey participants have acquired technology skills in the past 5 years, but significantly smaller percentages have updated their problem-solving skills […]

Financial Education Offers Benefits to Employees, Employers Alike

“It’s no secret that the economy is weak, and individual financial security is top of mind for many workers—now is the time to educate employees about personal finance and financial well-being,” Jackson says. First-of-Its-Kind Award Inspired by a working group of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, SHRM and the American Institute of Certified […]

Could Taking on Unpaid Summer Interns Lead to Trouble Under the FLSA?

However, warns Evelyn Gentry, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, there are downsides for employers that use unpaid interns, the most notable being potential violations of the FLSA. Misclassifying employees as unpaid interns, and thereby denying them federal minimum wage and overtime wages can result in costly litigation, civil fines, or both. Furthermore, employers who willfully violate […]

California Noncompete Agreements: What Is Allowed?

California noncompete agreements are basically void. California’s legislature routinely passes its own version of federal laws, often with crucial differences that can trip up multistate employers. Noncompete agreements are one such topic. While most states do not give employees protection (or only do so by limiting the scope of these agreements), they’re generally not allowed […]