Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

Contractor Cited for Violations Points to Toolbox Talks in Its Defense

What Happened Gioioso Sons, Inc., constructs and installs water supply and sewer pipes. On July 10, 2009, while the company was performing trenching work to install water service lines at a Boston worksite, a compliance officer for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) arrived for an inspection. The compliance officer saw a Gioioso employee […]

Did Supervisor Stop Giving Evaluations, Raises Due to Age Bias?

What Happened In 1985, “Phyllis” was hired to work at a hotel in Dorchester, Massachusetts—initially known as a Howard Johnson Hotel, then as South Bay Hotel, and, starting in 1997, as a Holiday Inn Express operated by Jiten Hotel Management, Inc. As the executive housekeeper of the Holiday Inn Express, Phyllis oversaw the housekeeping staff […]

Ask the Trainer: Reinforcement and Recognition

A: Content and delivery are not necessarily to blame when training fails to drive long-lasting behavioral change. More often, the blame rests with a lack of reinforcement back on the job, says Mike Ryan, senior vice president of Marketing and Strategy for Madison Performance Group (MadisonPG.com). “Training is a key business imperative, but the long-term […]

Deputy Terminated During Training Period Points to Racial Bias

What Happened The Warrick County, Indiana, sheriff hired “Connor” as a reserve deputy sheriff in November 2003. Connor received promotions to part-time—and, later, full-time—dispatcher before becoming a full-time deputy sheriff in August 2007. All new deputies are required to complete a 1-year probationary period during which field training officers (FTOs) teach them basic law-enforcement techniques. […]

Financial Education Programs Address Negative Impact on Work Performance

Among the nearly 460 HR professionals surveyed by SHRM, 52% reported that their organization teaches employees about financial planning—down from 64% in a similar survey 2 years ago. Types of Programs Offered Of organizations that offer financial education, 79% provide access to financial counseling and resources via their employee assistance program, SHRM found. Meanwhile, 68% […]

Training for Ironworkers Replicates On-the-Job Challenges

“Several times a year we meet with the contractors to get feedback about our ironworkers in the field,” says Randy Palumbo, apprenticeship and training coordinator for Iron Workers Local 48 in Oklahoma City (www.ironworkers48.org). “They tell us what they would like taught more in our classes, or taught less, and we build our programs accordingly.” […]

Ask the Trainer: Language Learning

A: In today’s multicultural workplace and economy, it is important for many employees to become multilingual. With companies of all sizes connecting with colleagues and clients across the globe via Skype, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, language training is playing an increasingly important role, says Michael Schutzler, CEO of Livemocha (www.livemocha.com), which describes itself as the […]

Flights Aboard Company Jet Could Be ‘Taxable Transportation’

Employers that own corporate jets and pay a management company to fly them  were not pleased by a recent IRS memo on tax treatment of such arrangements, and two private aviation trade associations have been working with IRS on relief. Chief Counsel Advice Memorandum 20120026 , although not binding (see note at end of this […]

Rules changing on New Hampshire noncompete, nonpiracy agreements

By Jeanine Poole New Hampshire employers using noncompete and nonpiracy agreements face new limits beginning July 14. That’s when House Bill 1270 goes into effect. The new law requires that every employer provide a copy of any noncompete and/or nonpiracy agreement required for a position to a current or potential employee before or concurrent with […]