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Black History Month — Remembering Every Black Man and Woman’s Contributions, Part II — Refocusing Our View of History

Written on 27 Feb, 2009 at 14:19

Note: We began writing this series in time for the February 1 beginning of Black History Month. It has “marinated” as a draft this long because of our desire to tackle what could be controversial issues without causing unnecessary offense.... (Continue reading)

Black History Month — Remembering Every Black Man and Woman’s Contributions, Part I — The Unpaid Wages of Slavery

Written on 26 Feb, 2009 at 11:00

Note: We began writing this series in time for the February 1 beginning of Black History Month. It has “marinated” as a draft this long because of our desire to tackle what could be controversial issues without causing unnecessary offense.... (Continue reading)

Your Friday Silver Lining — Unemployment News: Better Than It Looks

Written on 6 Feb, 2009 at 16:39

Optimism, Pessimism… Today’s Friday Humor joke goes like this: Social scientists decided that they wanted to quantify the human traits of “optimism” and “pessimism.” After much searching through several potential populations, they finally found their test subjects — a little... (Continue reading)

Banking Employee’s Bonuses — Another Perspective

Written on 4 Feb, 2009 at 13:30

In all of the brouhaha over the 2008 bonus scandal, it’s possible that a rather large group of people is being overlooked: the administrative staff and other low-ranking financial services employees who actually depend on those year-end bonuses just to... (Continue reading)

New Resource for Finding, Thriving in Government Jobs

Written on 4 Feb, 2009 at 5:00

With the Stimulus Comes Government Jobs The Obama administration wants to spend $884 billion to stimulate our economy, meaning that the federal government may see a surge in hiring of up to 600,000 jobs. Recently, we ran across a resource... (Continue reading)

The Top Ten (Actually, Eleven) Steps to Get You From College to Career

Written on 3 Feb, 2009 at 5:00

You’ve just spent four or more years earning your education and degree. Maybe you’re in the last semester of your senior year; maybe you graduated earlier this January. Either way, it’s time to start your job search. Or maybe —... (Continue reading)

Friday Humor — Singing the Wonders of HR

Written on 30 Jan, 2009 at 15:00

WARNING: If you take your 70′s – era folk music seriously, this video may give you a facial tick. All, others, please refrain from eating or drinking anything while viewing so as not to ruin your company’s computer equipment… Related... (Continue reading)

CardCheck Under the Employee Free Choice Act — Will It End Free Choice for Workers?

Written on 29 Jan, 2009 at 6:00

The Employee Free Choice Act, Card Check Elections, and Binding Contract Arbitration — Two Views In an opinion piece in a January 2009 of ere.net, recruiter Jessica Lee addresses the effect that the EFCA, with card check could have on... (Continue reading)

Advice to Older Workers, Retirees, and Pre-Retirees from “Rewiring® Guru”

Written on 28 Jan, 2009 at 6:00

Author, speaker and passionate people-person Jeri Sedlar has a lot to offer older workers facing today’s recession. Don’t Retire, REWIRE! Jeri, Senior Advisor to The Conference Board on Mature Workforce Issues, used her more than 20 years’ experience studying personal... (Continue reading)

NLRB to Consider Ordering Shuttered Window & Door Plant Reopened

Written on 26 Jan, 2009 at 6:00

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) may soon confront a relatively rare labor law issue — whether to order a closed plant reopened. The issue has come up in conjunction with unfair labor practice charges filed recently in connection with... (Continue reading)

Friday Humor — “You Won’t Have to Pay No Attorneys!”

Written on 23 Jan, 2009 at 16:00

WARNING: This post may lead to coffee or soda splatters on your monitor. Enjoy — and have a lovely weekend! Related Reading: General, Organic, and Biochemistry: An Applied Approach Lab Manual for General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry (2nd Edition)... (Continue reading)

President Calls for “National Day of Renewal & Reconciliation” Via Proclamation & Blog; Will Still Use Blackberry

Written on 22 Jan, 2009 at 19:26

On Tuesday, January 20 at 12:01 p.m., the administration of America’s first African American President ushered in a technological and communications event — the first White House blog. According to that blog, President Obama’s first official act after taking the... (Continue reading)

“We Must Pick Ourselves Up, Dust Ourselves Off, and Begin Again the Work of Remaking America.”

Written on 21 Jan, 2009 at 0:43

Yesterday, in his inaugural address, President Barack Obama called on all Americans to join him in the work of rebuilding our nation. Not only our nation’s economy, but our confidence: confidence in ourselves, and confidence in our ability to leave... (Continue reading)

Employment Applications: Common Errors, Omissions, and Red Flags

Written on 16 Jan, 2009 at 5:00

While reviewing a set of about 30 employment applications for one of his clients facing an EEOC allegation of hiring discrimination, George started seeing patterns in the mistakes that the job applicants were making that led to their being disqualified.... (Continue reading)

George Blogs on Protecting Your Company During Layoffs

Written on 15 Jan, 2009 at 21:43

Today the popular business site Down to Business published a guest post by George Lenard entitled, “Avoiding Layoff-Related Lawsuits.” The post covers: The implications of the broken social contract between laid-off workers and employers. (In other words, today “laid off”... (Continue reading)

Share the Love — And Help with Someone’s Job Search

Written on 15 Jan, 2009 at 6:00

Valentine’s Day 2009 — Many People Aren’t Feeling the Love In today’s economic climate, it can be harder than ever for first-time job seekers to break into the market. The fact is, though, that our country is in this recession... (Continue reading)

The “Fraudies Awards” for Employee Fraud — Recognizing 2008’s Clueless Corporate Scammers (Friday Humor?)

Written on 9 Jan, 2009 at 16:00

A Banner Year for Fraud! Chronicling a banner year for fraud, highlighted by Bernard Madoff’s alleged $50 billion financial swindle, Oversight Systems presents the Fraudies Awards to recognize the most audacious attempts to bilk employers for personal gain. For every... (Continue reading)

Employment Law Prediction: Jury Sympathies in Recession Times

Written on 9 Jan, 2009 at 5:00

How Will the Recession Impact Juries in Workplace Disputes? That is the (Important) Question Several employment-law attorneys, including myself, have been asked to comment on the possible impact that the recession could have on juries in workplace disputes. Given that... (Continue reading)

Caroline Kennedy, the Senate, Qualifications of Mothers & My Birthday

Written on 22 Dec, 2008 at 14:00

Caroline Kennedy’s bid for Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat has stirred a wide range of feelings and views. Some express outrage at the thought of such an appointment, given her seemingly weak qualifications — other than her pedigree. But many others... (Continue reading)

“MENTORrific” Job & Life Coaching for Teens

Written on 22 Dec, 2008 at 5:00

Mentoring Goes Beyond Professional Development A recent Google search on the terms “importance professional mentor” gave me almost half a million results. Clearly, professional adults are turning to mentors for guidance on everything from networking skills to improving their performance... (Continue reading)

My Holiday Photo Card to Readers

Written on 20 Dec, 2008 at 1:46

Here’s something different: some of my own photos that I could use for holiday cards some day (or not) — presented as a holiday photoblog greeting to my readers. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Enjoy Some Kids/Act Like A Kid Again! Find Some... (Continue reading)

Suffering From The Sidelines

Written on 18 Dec, 2008 at 6:00

The impact of mass layoffs and rising unemployment goes well beyond those immediately affected. Support professionals at all levels — from mental health providers to social workers to career coaches — all suffer tremendous indirect stress from the economic travails... (Continue reading)

The Recession and Increasing Employee Theft: Understanding and Preventing Employee Theft

Written on 15 Dec, 2008 at 5:00

Employee theft is rising as the economy is sinking, according to a report by i4cp, Inc., The report says: [We found] that 27% of respondents in large companies — those with 10,000 or more employees — said crime in the... (Continue reading)

How To Provide Reasonable Accommodations Under the ADA For Individuals With Hearing Impairments

Written on 10 Dec, 2008 at 5:00

With the recent passage of the Americans With Disabilities Amendment Act (ADAAA), employers are turning their attention to changes in the Act and how those changes might impact their business. Fortunately, resources to help you are readily at hand. In... (Continue reading)

Humanize Your Job Search

Written on 9 Dec, 2008 at 6:00

This guest post, which presents some excellent job search networking tips, is by Kevin Donlin, courtesy of Recruiting Blogswap. Networking to Find a Job: It’s All About Connecting With People If you’ve ever been offered a job without first meeting... (Continue reading)