What to say when dealing with a ranter

  • September 23, 2009

When a colleague or customer gets so upset they stop making sense, you need to remember this: Too much adrenaline is muddling their thinking. Here are the most common...

Know what’s free speech, insubordination

  • September 20, 2009

Employees who work for government agencies have a few additional rights that privately employed workers don’t enjoy. One is the right to speak out on matters of...

Don’t factor in FMLA when making RIF list

  • September 10, 2009

Many employers are discovering they have to cut staff to survive. It’s tempting to eliminate those positions where the least work is being done. After all, the...

Keep Sick Employees Home During Flu Season

  • September 08, 2009

Traditionally, employee absenteeism has been employers' main concern during the annual flu season. This year, however, employers are being urged by federal agencies to...

Miscalculated FMLA? Just let employee know

  • September 05, 2009

It’s easy enough to do. While calculating an employee’s remaining FMLA leave, you make a mistake and tell the employee he has to return by a certain day when...

At-Home Online Training Must Be Paid

  • August 17, 2009

Online training programs eliminate the hassle of trying to schedule a convenient time for employees to be trained. This means employees may end up taking the training...

Charitable donation OK in lieu of union dues

  • August 16, 2009

Some employees’ religious beliefs forbid them to belong to labor unions. Because, like employers, unions may not discriminate on the basis of religion, they must...

10 keys to negotiating your HR budget

  • July 28, 2009

Ever had the C-Suite rubber-stamp your HR budget with nary a question or challenge? Neither has Valerie Grubb, who spent most of her career building and justifying...