People Management

‘Not accepting applications’ sign is legal

Q. If we don't have a job opening, are we required to hand out applications to anyone who asks? Or can we just say that we're not taking applications at this time?...

Lessons from the 2006 SHRM conference: Metrics: Track each employee’s ‘Baseball card’ statistics

On the back of each baseball card are the vital statistics that immediately tell you the player's proficiency in various skills: hitting, fielding, etc. It would be...

How George H.W. Bush endured Watergate

Just after Richard Nixon won reelection in 1972, he asked his ambassador to the United Nations to become chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Google experiments with ‘chaos theory’

That precocious 8-year-old, Google, continues to thrive on the edge of chaos, a place that allows innovation and growth.

Can your employer tell you where you can – and can’t – see a doctor?

Question: The HR director has placed someone in my office on a 90-day probation. During this period, she cannot miss a single day of work, even after she got approval...

Treating people with ‘process fairness’

A tale of two companies and downsizing.

Ohio Fair Employment Practices Act

Under the Ohio Fair Employment Practices Act (OFEPA), it’s illegal to subject people to differential treatment based on race, color, religion, sex, national...

Artie McGovern, branding pioneer

Nowadays, when you hear about celebrities turning themselves into brands, it’s nothing special. In 1925, it was.

NBA coach Pat Riley on preparation

The more thorough you are, the less desperate you will be.

Procrastination 101 from The Odyssey

Homer’s Odyssey tells us that Penelope used procrastination to meet an important goal.

Sample Policy: Moonlighting

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

Sample Policy: At-Will Employment

Sample Policy: Working Hours

Sample Policy: Meal Breaks

Sample Policy: Bad-Weather Time Off

Sample Policy: Employment of Relatives

Sample Policy: Job Sharing

Sample Policy: Volunteerism Leave

Setting clear performance standards

"I didn't know what you expected ... Well, no one told me to do it that way!" Have you heard this complaint before? Probably so.

Why Henry Ford doubled wages

When Henry Ford announced Five-Dollar Day in 1914, it created a sensation. Overnight, the Ford Motor Co. would double the standard wage of automobile workers. Why did...