HRGuru

Nov. 23--U.S. employers are bracing for more flu cases this winter. Whether they're prepared is another question. Many -- particularly small and medium-size companies -- don't have business continuity plans in place for dealing with significant flu-related absences, surveys indicate. Deepening the problem in many workplaces are rules that don't bend for allowing employees time off to heal or deal with ...

The sorts of things some people will sue for in the US hardly comes as a surprise these days. But last year HR directors would have been alarmed to learn of a claim one employee - James La Rue from DeWolff Boberg & Associates - took to the courts. Not only did he sue his employer for not providing him with ...

It was Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, who is credited with saying "you can never be too rich or too thin", but in the world of outsourcing, can you really reach a point where you can trim off too much fat and be left the poorer for it? This is the question outsourcing suppliers and buyers do not always want ...

I admit, I never thought nor did I care much about Golf. I didn’t know much about Golf. Golf channel, schmolf channel. I had never played golf in my life. I finally took the first step in my addiction in August of 2008. I went to the range with a pro to get sized and he took out a 6 iron. ...

A reader writes: I got a job that I really wanted and I'm happy and grateful. My question is what's the best way to let other prospective employers know? These are places where I put in resumes, but haven't gotten interviews. (If I had interviewed for another job and was still waiting, I would call the hiring manager when I got ...

Nov. 19--Employers' costs of healthcare benefits grew 5.5 percent this year, the lowest increase in a decade, as workplaces added health management programs and moved workers into high-deductible plans, a noted benefits consulting firm said Wednesday. Employers expect largely the same in 2010. If they made no changes, employers estimate that their 2010 healthcare costs would rise about 9 percent. But ...

Stress in the workplace can have devastating effects on employees. Sam Barrett finds out what adviser solutions can and can't do to help In today's tough economic climate, employees are coming under increasing pressure. Employers must take steps to manage stress in the workplace to safeguard their employees and their businesses. "Companies are putting employees under more and more pressure," says ...

The holidays can be a stressful time, full of family demands and financial obligations. This year, more people -- who have survived company downsizing or closures -- might benefit from employee assistance programs to help them through tough times. Employee assistance programs can range in scope, but generally focus on helping with issues that might affect job performance. The Employee Assistance ...

OK…now that I’ve recovered from my rant about the human resources profession, let’s discuss the people part… I’ll start by pointing out the 800 lb elephant in the room. Are there crappy HR people in organizations? Yes. There – I said it. And, there may actually be a lot of them out there. Which is why magazines like Fast Company publish ...

So you are Mr. or Ms. Big Shot. Okay, more than likely you are Mr. or Ms. Thinks They Are A Big Shot. Maybe you have a book or a TV show or a podcast or a popular blog or a big company or a big position or a fancy car. Maybe you are known. Maybe you are actually a big ...

Does your boss routinely wake up on the wrong side of the bed, or is he always chipper? Whether he's likeable or moody, low-key or high-strung, you may be able to shed light on his approach to work -- and how you might work with him -- by aligning his astrological sign with his management style. Get Started: Aries Featured ...

Listen up. To maintain a competitive advantage, most companies are paying attention to the development of professional "soft skills" to boost performance, according to i4cp's latest study. Members can now download the results in PDF, PowerPoint and Interactive Data formats. The study found that, overall, 76% of study respondents have identified soft skills such as listening skills, persuasion and teamwork that ...

A reader writes: Yesterday I found out through coworkers that one of our managers left/was fired (closer to the latter, I think... I have heard he was in a "you need to show improvement in three months" situation which ended this week). His name is still on his office, and his things are still here, but he is definitely gone--after confirming ...

Broward County, my hometown, has made the national headlines again. First, it was hanging chads (remember them?), then Anna Nicole Smith, now a Ponzi scheme. The local news has been crazy lately. It started a month or so ago with the indictment of three local politicians on federal corruption charges. Shortly thereafter, another local politician was cited for ethics infractions. Then, ...

Even though the nation's unemployment rate has soared past 10%, there are still companies hiring – especially in Human Resources. So if you're out of a job or looking for something new, check out HRGuru's list of 10 companies who are hiring in Human Resources. Whether you're just getting into the industry or are an experienced professional, HRGuru has you ...

I had a colleague give me a referral last week. A referral is when you give (or in this case receive) a business lead from someone else. It’s a little different from a recommendation, which is a positive affirmation of someone’s work. Recommendations can sometimes lead to referrals. When you give a referral it’s a big deal. Typically the business you ...

Nov. 13--City officials yesterday said that they expected to save $6.3 million annually by making some changes to health-benefit plans offered to non-unionized city workers -- including upping some out-of-pocket costs and shifting the way the city pays insurance bills. Those changes will affect 6,900 non-unionized workers and retirees. But Managing Director Camille Barnett also said that the city would like ...

A cook at an Indiana restaurant suffered a job-related back injury, and a workers' compensation board said the employer must pay for a medical procedure. What makes this news? The procedure was weight-loss surgery. Also this summer, the Oregon Supreme Court said an employer must pay for surgery for an employee who suffered a workplace knee injury, not for knee replacement, ...

Jack Sullivan couldn't have been happier after landing his dream job. The position, salary and perks were exactly what he was looking for. But after the initial euphoria wore off, he discovered that going to work was becoming the same daily grind all over again. Although he couldn't put his finger on exactly what was wrong, he knew one thing for ...

I was looking at a post by Paul Hebert’s i2i about service anniversary awards and it got me thinking about the inherent ridiculousness of the whole concept. Why are we giving awards for people sticking it out? “Oh hey Jimmy, you made it through another year. Here’s your bronze pin. After that, you can get your silver, gold and then platinum ...