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Career Development for Less - or Even Free!
New on our Blog - Look Up! See Those Tabs on the Right?
You want to learn new skills, find out about employment trends, and develop your career — but you don’t want to spend a lot of money.
We understand. After all, we feel the same way. That’s why George’s Employment Blawg now has links to [...]
Most Companies Have Diversity Strategies
Study of Corporate Diversity Initiatives
As corporate workforces start to resemble Olympic villages, and globalization intensifies trans-national and cross-cultural workplace interactions, diversity programs are becoming a mission-critical piece of most organizations.
According to a recent study by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), nearly three-quarters of all responding companies, and a whopping 85% of firms with [...]
It’s the Economy, Stupid!
Of course, everyone has opinions about the economy in general, the financial crisis, the bailout bill, and what the next President should do about them — and what the candidates should say about these topics in tonight’s debate. (Actually, it’s a pretty wimpy debate format: I understand there are to be no follow-up questions, [...]
Do’s and Don’ts of Hiring an Independent Contractor
Independent Contractor Agreements – A Match Made in Heaven?
Today’s employers are watching their bottom line more closely than ever before, including examining the costs associated with maintaining a full time workforce.
At the same time, workers are looking for ways to increase their independence, decrease their commutes and overall to increase their quality of life. [...]
Halloween in the Workplace? It Depends…
Halloween Will Soon Be Upon Us — Are You Prepared?
In addition to personally getting ready for Trick or Treating or costume parties with friends, a 2007 Halloween-practices survey by vault.com found that employees at an increasing number of companies are getting into the holiday as well.
Of course, the type of celebration will vary by workplace. [...]
Fifty-Five or Over? We Want You — To Work
Are you looking to keep the gold flowing during your Golden Years? Does the idea of a retirement spent sitting in a rocking chair or playing golf seem like Purgatory? Do you need to keep working for financial reasons?
If you answered, “Yes,” to any of the above, this week is for you.
National Employ Older Workers [...]
Retail Scheduling Software Could Harm Employee Morale, As Well As Customer Service
The Way It Used To Be
Twice each year my mother would make her regular pilgrimage to the old B. Siegel’s store select her seasonal professional attire. It was always a leisurely, enjoyable experience – one that newly-introduced employee scheduling software may soon render obsolete.
While Mom’s profession as the first female lease negotiator for GM marked [...]
“Blind Hiring” to Avoid Bias: Wave of the HR Future, or “Blind Alley”?
Is a hiring manager named “David” more likely to give an edge to a job candidate also named “David”?
Recent academic research suggests that the answer is “yes,” even for other names with similar sounds, like “Dan” or “Dustin.”
What does this say about a company’s ability to develop a merit-based, non-discriminatory hiring model?
Unemployment Benefits Extension: Effective Counterweight to Slowing Economy?
On June 30, President Bush signed a $162 billion war spending bill that included a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits. Attaching this unemployment extension to entirely unrelated war spending sought by the White House was effective in getting the extension passed despite significant Republican opposition. This post describes the availability of the extended benefits and the economic and political considerations affecting the decision to undertake this significant additional domestic spending.
Bulletproofing Employment Investigations
This post on workplace investigations that hold up to scrutiny emphasizes the importance of vertical and horizontal consistency and reasonableness in the investigation of allegations of workplace misconduct, such as harassment.
Talent Management — Roles of Lawyers & HR Pros
I originally wrote this a few years ago, but never published it. It seems as timely today as then. It’s a reflection on the differing perspectives and roles of management, HR, and legal counsel as businesses focus more intently on “talent management.”
Survey Says Taleo Best Recruitment Software Option
Recruitment software provider Taleo is officially an industry leader, according to Gartner, Inc.’s “Magic Quadrant for E-Recruitment Software, 2008.“
Four Supreme Court Employment Decisions in One Day!
Score that employees 2, employers 2. High Court rules: disability retirement program did not discriminate on age; employer has burden of proving reasonable factor other than age in age discrimination disparate impact cases; insurer conflict of interest is factor to consider in ruling on ERISA plan claims denials; California regulation of union-related activities of state-funded employers ispreempted by National Labor Relations Act.
Illegal to Bar Employee Discussion of Compensation, NLRB Reiterates
In recently discussing the Ledbetter Supreme Court case on the time limits for filing compensation discrimination charges, and Congressional efforts to alter its result, I mentioned, in passing, the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) position on rules against discussing compensation.
Many people are opposed to pay discrimination and may be motivated to share such information in order to ferret out and remedy possible discrimination. They may, however, be concerned that doing so would violate the employer’s confidentiality rules.
It is thus significant that the NLRB recently issued a decision reaffirming its position on rules prohibiting or chilling employee discussion of compensation and benefits.
Tons of Free Stuff Here !
Many say “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” (a maxim attributed to an interesting assortment of folks, including science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein, Nobel Prize–winning economist Milton Friedman, and New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia). Contrary to the maxim, I’ve found that it’s sometimes possible to get something quite useful for free. Most [...]
