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December, 2004

Final backlog roundup of 2004: downsizing, benefits and retirement, blogs and blogging

Written on 31 Dec, 2004 at 20:52

As part of my resolution to do a better job staying current with this Blawg, I’m tidying up and flushing out my old unused “drafts” section. Here are some items from the past few months that are still timely and... (Continue reading)

HR as good capitalists: capturing HR in Annual Report

Written on 31 Dec, 2004 at 18:23

This old item from my backlog looked very appropriate in view of the recent bits here and here about whether HR people think and act like socialists, not capitalists: Workforce.com: “Capturing the State of Human Resources in an Annual Report”... (Continue reading)

Still got the holiday spirit? Read about the Santa Claus unionization drive way up north in Canada

Written on 31 Dec, 2004 at 17:44

I should have picked this up earlier, but it was only posted Christmas eve. Perhaps only labor lawyers and the like will find it worthy of a chuckle, but I did — and hey, if you’re reading this blawg maybe... (Continue reading)

Firing bloggers part IV — more bad examples

Written on 31 Dec, 2004 at 0:07

OK, I thought I was done with this series, having beaten the topic to death in parts I, II, and III. But no, today along comes Pamela Jones of the award-winning blog Groklaw with a tip to a story of... (Continue reading)

ABC News names bloggers "People of the Year"

Written on 30 Dec, 2004 at 23:58

As reported here earlier, in a rather shortsighted move Time magazine passed over bloggers in favor of George W. for person of the year. ABC News, on the other hand, clearly taking the long view and recognizing which is the... (Continue reading)

Don’t Get Excited, Don’t Lose Your Head: Why Testifying Experts Should NOT Worry About Daubert

Written on 30 Dec, 2004 at 11:18

I found this rather interesting entry on Blog 702, regarding Daubert challenges and what experts should know about them. Very briefly, it argues that experts shouldn’t get too concerned about understanding legal issues surrounding Daubert challenges. I don’t think it... (Continue reading)

Those Aging Baby Boomers: Age of Opportunity Or Time to Sue?

Written on 30 Dec, 2004 at 11:01

Yep, I’m now a card-carrying AARP member. When my wife, who just became eligible as a member handed me an AARP card with my name on it, my first thought was: “Throw it away, I’m way too young for this.... (Continue reading)

Firing bloggers part III — avoiding unnecessary conflicts

Written on 29 Dec, 2004 at 18:40

In Part I of this series, I looked at some tragic cases in which freewheeling bloggers lost their jobs when their blogging activities created what was perceived by management as an unacceptable conflict with corporate interests. In Part II, I... (Continue reading)

A brief word on my upgraded tech toolbag

Written on 29 Dec, 2004 at 16:33

I’m very pleased with a few changes I’ve made in my websurfing/blogging toolkit. Thought others might be interested. First, as I’ve noted before, I’m using Bloglines both to maintain my extensive RSS blogroll at right and to serve as my... (Continue reading)

Around the Employment/HR Blogosphere

Written on 29 Dec, 2004 at 14:49

With a little holiday work lull, and extra time at home, I’m catching up on my blogreading using bloglines. Following are some of my favorites from the many interesting posts I’ve seen on other employment/HR blogs (all listed in the... (Continue reading)

Personality testing part II — George is guinea pig for various online tests

Written on 29 Dec, 2004 at 14:46

We’ve talked before about personality tests and their usefulness (or not) for employee selection (most recently here). Now here’s a little sampling of online personality tests I’ve experimented with. I’ll lay bare my soul by disclosing my personal results, and... (Continue reading)

"Passive" Job Candidates: Recruiting Candidates Who Aren’t Even On the Job Market

Written on 29 Dec, 2004 at 9:45

The recruitement function needs to also consider top job candidates who aren’t even on the job market. Although “headhunters” often claim that this is their domain, I’m sure you can think of some people you would love to have come... (Continue reading)

TV Writers Make the News: Age Discrimination Lawsuit

Written on 28 Dec, 2004 at 10:18

In a major victory for older TV writers, their lawsuit can now proceed against the television industry including networks, studios, production companies and talent agencies. If you think you might be eligible to participate in the lawsuit, or have relevant... (Continue reading)

This Blawg wins coveted award!

Written on 27 Dec, 2004 at 11:16

I discovered this morning that we were named runner-up in the category of “Best Practice-Specific Legal Blog” in“Dennis Kennedy’s 2004 Legal Blogging Awards” on the DennisKennedy.com blog. This is quite an honor — and a surprise. There are now very... (Continue reading)

Is the Bottle Half Full or Half Empty? Summary of Coca-Cola’s Annual HR Task Force Report

Written on 27 Dec, 2004 at 10:54

As you may remember, a few years ago, Coca-Cola settled a large race discrimination lawsuit. The agreement included the creation of a task force to ensure that appropriate HR systems are in place at the company. Each year the company... (Continue reading)

"HR Socialism" rebuttal

Written on 26 Dec, 2004 at 22:58

The other day, I reported on and challenged an article about HR being dominated by socialists rather than capitalists. Catherine Collingwood has the recent HR educational and work experience I lack, enabling her to blog a rebuttal at a level... (Continue reading)

Successful defense of age claim despite "ageist" remarks highlights important lessons

Written on 22 Dec, 2004 at 16:32

Allegations of “ageist” comments are often problematic when defending age discrimination cases. Plaintiffs in such cases frequently claim to have been called names like “old fart” or “old man,” referred to using terms such as “dead wood,” heard comments about... (Continue reading)

Bloggers almost get TIME Person of the Year

Written on 22 Dec, 2004 at 15:27

Evidently, gave serious consideration to naming Bloggers the Person of the Year. Several influential blogs featured snazzy proposed magazine covers (click links to see cover designs). These included Micro Persuasion, Steve Rubel’s blog on “how blogs and participatory journalism are... (Continue reading)

Is HR dominated by a bunch of pinkos who don’t care about the green stuff?

Written on 21 Dec, 2004 at 16:57

In Workforce Management magazine, John Sullivan challenges what he sees as the typical HR mentality. Sullivan says provocatively: “We all know that in the age-old economic battle between capitalism and socialism, capitalism won. [An oversimplification, perhaps.] Unfortunately, if you were... (Continue reading)

New years haiku from — and inspired by — lawyer-blogger

Written on 21 Dec, 2004 at 2:40

David Giacalone has a blog entitled “f/k/a . . . one-breath poetry & punditry with haikuEsq f/k/a ethicalEsq” Its engaging story and purpose are explained here and here. David describes himself as “a prematurely-retired (but no longer prematurely-gray) attorney and... (Continue reading)

Who said this: labor or management?

Written on 20 Dec, 2004 at 19:20

The following statement may be self-evident to business people; it often does not appear to be understood by union leaders or their membership: “[P]roductivity is an important part of good wages and good benefits . . . If a guy... (Continue reading)

Lawyers’ favorite perks show nontraditional benefits help retain employees

Written on 20 Dec, 2004 at 11:16

The answers to last month’s ABA “Career Question of the Month,” published last Friday, have some relevance beyond the legal community, showing how employees often value highly intangibles or special perks that have little or no cost. The question posed... (Continue reading)

Tums management avoids heartburn from employee turnover

Written on 20 Dec, 2004 at 10:30

One of the many curiosities I discovered as I became more familiar with St. Louis following my move here in 1985 was the Tums factory. It’s quite an oddity to turn a corner a few blocks from the Arch in... (Continue reading)

Who you gonna believe? a/k/a "he said/she said"

Written on 17 Dec, 2004 at 11:52

A standard bit of advice I give when I speak about sexual harassment to human resources professionals and other employer representatives is this: “Do not be afraid of making credibility determinations. Throwing up your hands and declaring it a case... (Continue reading)

Nice Update On Employee Investigations

Written on 17 Dec, 2004 at 11:07

This article, posted by the Employment Practices Solutions folks, contains a nice update on two laws, and several common issues, that may arise in the course of an employee investigation. Given the frequency with which investigations need to be conducted,... (Continue reading)