Richard Branson’s leadership secrets

  • February 01, 2008

British entrepreneur Richard Branson has turned his Virgin brand into a conglomerate of more than 350 companies. His unique leadership style requires some studying:

Paying back ‘Borrowed’ vacation leave

  • February 01, 2008

Q. We allow our employees to “borrow” unearned vacation time. Our policy provides that if employees quit or are terminated with a “negative”...

Sample Policy: Violence and Weapons

  • January 07, 2008

The following sample policy was excerpted from The Book of Company Policies, published by HR Specialist, © 2007. Edit for your organization’s...

Right to have a witness during discipline

  • December 07, 2007

Q. We have a nonunion shop. It is not uncommon for our employees to insist that they have the right to have a witness present during investigatory interviews and...

When an employee won’t ask for help

  • December 01, 2007

You don't want to hover over your people. But what do you do when an employee needs help--and won't ask for it? Start by imagining what will happen if you do nothing.

Putting a cap on vacation time accrual

  • November 16, 2007

Q. Our company’s vacation policy provides that once an employee earns 240 hours (or 30 days) of vacation, no additional vacation may be accrued until the balance...

Do temporary employees count?

  • November 07, 2007

Q. We’re a small company with about 45 employees, but we have another 20 employees who are temporary. Do we have to count the temps when complying with the EEO or...

Taming your high-energy employees

  • November 01, 2007

Talented, high-energy employees can deliver spectacular results. They can also irritate other employees, be generally disruptive, and undermine your authority.