Offering genuinely valuable information is
one of the best ways to strengthen bonds with existing customers and
reach out to new ones. Here are five strategic ways to do it:
Starting Sept. 8, federal contractors and subcontractors must begin using the government's E-Verify system to confirm their employees’ eligibility to work in the United States. After a year's worth of court delays, the Internet-based employment-eligibility verification system is now mandatory for companies doing business with Uncle Sam.
We look in mirrors every day. They give us a reflection of ourselves. But what about our inner selves—our attitudes and thoughts? How often do we look there? True leaders look inward every day and take stock of themselves. As simple as it sounds, it’s the step most overlooked by managers in their journey to becoming leaders ...
Employers, beware: U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is promising to “refocus the agency on its enforcement responsibilities” in the coming months. The proof: DOL is adding 250 new field investigators—a staff increase of more than a third—to look into noncompliance on wage-and-hour issues.
In this brutal economy, desperate applicants—and current workers who believe they may be laid off soon—are trying an interesting tactic: They’re volunteering to work for less pay … sometimes much less. A new court ruling shows why you should take those offers seriously.
With unemployment at its highest level since 1983, many applicants have far more experience and education than the job requires. But be alert: Advise hiring managers to avoid using the term “overqualified” in front of job candidates or in any written description of them. Rejected applicants could view the term as an age-related code word, thus sparking an age discrimination lawsuit.
The IRS and the U.S. Department of Labor have just published guidance to help employers claim the credit for the new 65% COBRA subsidy and create the mandatory new COBRA notices. Look here for links to the documents and information you need to comply.
Amid the billions of dollars for roads and industry bailouts, the $789 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed on Feb. 17 by President Obama includes a handful of important HR-related provisions. Comp and benefits pros must act immediately to comply with some of these provisions.
By matching speakers’ preferred communication styles, you can build both rapport and alliances with a range of people. Here are four communication styles and how you can relate to them:
American workers can access the Internet, e-mail, instant messaging and other forms of electronic communications from anywhere at any time. While electronic communication helps people do their jobs, it also leaves a trail. A telephone conversation relies on the memory of two participants, but e-mail and IM discussions can be preserved for years to come. And, given the casual way so many people fire off e-mail these days, that can spell legal trouble for employers.
The popularity of Internet blogs and social networking sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook and Friendster is causing confusion and concern for some employers. Is there any harm in using information published on the Internet to screen applicants? At a time when it’s easy to search the web for information on just about anyone, what steps should a reasonable employer take to investigate the background of an employee?
New FMLA regulations go into effect on Jan. 16. Employers must become familiar with these changes and adjust their policies accordingly. Here’s a summary of some of the most important changes to the FMLA.
Now may be a good time to review your employee handbook for potential big trouble. The problem: Because handbooks spell out policies that apply to many or all employees, they can be used to justify escalating a simple lawsuit into a class-action suit ...
With a
Democratic-controlled Congress, a new pro-labor President in office and
a Secretary of Labor with a 97% approval rating from the AFL-CIO, the
cards are stacked against non-union employers. The Employee
Free Choice Act (EFCA) looks well on its way to passage. The EFCA would
ease and streamline union organizing, making it harder for employers to
oppose unions and limiting their bargaining power if their employees do
unionize.
When President-elect Barack Obama chose Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff, he did what a senior executive does when choosing an assistant: He selected a person who would help him get things done. Are you like Rahm Emanuel?
For the past 15 years, complying with the FMLA has been complex, but at least the law stayed the same. On Jan. 16, that all changed. That’s the day the first major overhaul of the FMLA took effect. Here are the details.
When Barack Obama takes office in January, get ready for the most sweeping employment-law changes the HR world has seen in years. Attorney Mike Fox walks you through the legislation likely to reshape HR, possibly even in the first 100 days of the Obama administration. Here’s how to prepare.
When a long-term employee seems to be stuck in a rut or is simply coasting, a few moves by the supervisor can help shake out the cobwebs and rekindle the employee's fire. Here are 10 simple tips for managers ...
In the past few years, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has focused its enforcement efforts mainly at large-scale immigration raids at big companies. Now that ICE has more trained officers and better coordination with other federal and state agencies, it’s targeting more small businesses, too ...
More than 60% of corporate counsels expect the election to have an impact on employment laws at their companies, according to a survey by The Association of Corporate Counsel.
This national audio seminar lays out a step-by-step guide for everyone—even the nervous, pushy, impulsive or tongue-tied—who wants to negotiate a better deal in the office, in the boardroom ... and in life!
Employers doing business with Uncle Sam will soon have to begin using the government’s E-Verify Internet-based employment eligibility verification system. Critics say the system is already inaccurate and overburdened. If you're a federal government contractor, you need to know about this big change. If you're just generally concerned about increasingly complex employment eligibility rules, we've got the info you need.
On Jan. 28, 2008, President Bush signed into law the first significant amendment to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. Because of the significant changes to this important and complex statute, we have provided answers below to the most frequently asked questions regarding the changes to the FMLA ...
Employees eligible for FMLA leave cannot stack their 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA leave on top of other paid leaves if your organization chooses to run FMLA leave concurrently with paid leave (as it should). But here’s the key point: You must tell employees that you intend to run FMLA leave concurrently with paid leave. If you don’t, they can take the FMLA leave later and extend their time off and other FMLA job protections ...
A federal judge has stopped implementation of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new rules on how employers should respond to “no-match” letters. Now unless the judge rules differently at trial, it's back to square one for DHS.
A U.S. District Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order that stops the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing new rules on how employers must respond to no-match letters. A groups of civil liberties and labor organizations filed a lawsuit charging that the agency doesn't have the authority to use Social Security records to crack down on illegal immigration.
Questions: Does anyone have any forms or guides for administrative staff to use or send out for annual reviews? I am a new
senior admin and have two employees to supervise who have annual reviews coming
up. -- David Kaulbars
