Archive for November, 2005

Why We Hate HR: Some Solutions

Wednesday, November 30th, 2005

Around the middle of the summer of 2005, Keith Hammond wrote an article titled “Why We Hate HR” in FastCompany. Recently, he defended his article to a group of HR managers, and offered some solutions to the problems he raised. The solutions are worth noting!

The Professor Offers Free Employment Law Class: Don’t Miss This Opportunity

Tuesday, November 29th, 2005

Ross Runkel is the founder of LawMemo and Professor of Law Emeritus at Willamette University College of Law. He has spent 30 years specializing in employment law, employment discrimination, labor law, and arbitration.

Ross is a faithful and encouraging reader of this Blawg, as I am of his five (!) blogs.

When I have as [...]

George Lenard on Employment Law |

Harvard Rx for Health Insurance Costs — at a Price

Tuesday, November 29th, 2005

I’m not gaining anything by pitching this book — and at a hefty $495 it’s clearly “value-priced” based on the notion that it promises business hundreds of times that sum in the cost of providing health insurance to employees.

But the fact it’s a Harvard Business School approach to the problem of soaring health insurance costs [...]

George Lenard on Benefits, Healthcare |

Those Minutes Add Up: Recent Supreme Court Case Highlights Fair Labor Standards Act Compliance

Monday, November 28th, 2005

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court unanimously held that under the Fair Labor Standards Act (”FLSA“) time spent walking to and from the production floor after putting on specialized safety gear or clothing was required to be counted as time worked.

IBP, Inc. v. Alvarez [.pdf], No. 03-1238 (November 8, 2005).

Similarly, time spent waiting before [...]

Joint Employment as a Desired Outcome

Sunday, November 27th, 2005

During one of our telephone conver- sations about setting up the new domain name and blawg platform, George asked me what it is, exactly, that my employer sells. When I gave him my usual brief explanation, he asked me how my company’s clients avoid creating joint employment situations. Not being a lawyer, I [...]

George Lenard on Human Resources, Outsourced HR |