Monday May 20, 2024

A company without managers: A concept too good to be true?

A company without bosses — where employees instinctively step up to take on new tasks, and innovation is sparked through the natural creativity created by teamwork. Really?   We’ve been reading recently about how online apparel retailer Zappos has embarked on a plan to “structure the company around the work that needs to be done […]

Has the NLRB given up the ghost on controversial workplace poster requirement?

Remember that “right-to-unionize” notice that the National Labor Relations Board was trying to require employers to display? Looks like it’s no longer a problem.  As we were reminded by Ashley Laken on Seyfarth Shaw’s Employee Labor Relations blog, Jan. 2 was the deadline for the NLRB to file a petition to the Supreme Court to […]

2 innovative strategies to try in your next interview

These unique hiring tactics might give you a leg up on your competitors. The work history angle Author Jeff Haden and Accolo CEO John Younger suggest taking a systematic approach to applicants’ past job history. Now, we know what you’re thinking: Of course every HR pro asks candidates about previous work experience. But Haden and Younger believe there’s […]

How Engaged Employees Drive Business Results

Employee engagement has become a top business priority for senior executives. In today’s evolving workplace, smart leaders know that having a high-performing workforce is the difference between winning and losing in the marketplace. Recent research conducted by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services and Achievers reveals how best-in-class companies gain a competitive advantage by improving their […]

3 ways to get through to intimidating execs

For HR and benefits pros (and many managers), communicating with upper management can be a challenge under even the most ideal circumstances. But when the exec in question is known for his or her intimidation tactics, it can be a real nightmare. Luckily, there are certain things you can do to get your message across […]

What would this new bill do to background checks?

A new law, if passed, might eliminate background checks entirely from the employment process.   The “Equal Employment for All Act” was introduced in the Senate by Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Dec. 17, 2013. The bill would prohibit the use of consumer credit checks against prospective and current employees for the purposes of making adverse employment decisions. […]

When employees’ cursing gets you sued

Most people let a curse — or, in some instances, many curses — fly at work on occasion. Usually it isn’t cause a problem. Here’s an instance where it could be. Kellymarie Griffin worked for the city of Portland for nearly 20 years when she was assigned to a five-member clerical team at an office […]

These companies probably shouldn’t have fired their disabled employees

The cost of illegally firing employees with disabilities is still a pretty penny, as these two cases show.   ‘You want a leave extension? You’re fired’ In the first case, a telesales and data services company in Kennesaw, GA, has agreed to pay $135,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity […]

These companies probably shouldn’t have fired their disabled employees

The cost of illegally firing employees with disabilities is still a pretty penny, as these two cases show.   ‘You want a leave extension? You’re fired’ In the first case, a telesales and data services company in Kennesaw, GA, has agreed to pay $135,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity […]

When insulting a worker’s weight isn’t bias

Here’s how this company got away with making fun of an overweight staffer — and why you shouldn’t do the same.   During the final five years Denise Luster-Malone worked for Cook County’s Stroger Hospital, she weighed around 300 pounds. According to Luster-Malone, her supervisor, Antoinette Williams, made “several derogatory remarks about her weight,” including, in […]