Yesterday’s CED covered the first four tentacles of the Social Media Octopus. Today, four more tentacles—plus an invitation to the only California HR conference you need to attend this year. The eight tentacles come from a recent BLR/HRHero-sponsored webinar featuring Patricia Trainor, J...

Social media—it’s everywhere HR turns. In a recent BLR/HRHero-sponsored webinar, Patricia Trainor and Stephen Bruce, Ph.D., identified eight tentacles that you need to watch out for. Attorney Trainor is BLR’s senior managing editor, HR; Bruce is editor of the HR Daily Advisor . (BLR...

Yesterday’s CED detailed a highly significant report by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) on the importance of supervisors to business. In a word, they’re critical. As frontline managers, where the work is actually done, they can either drive productivity or drag it down...

Supervisors are the most important factor in a work unit's performance, says HR trainer Steve Oppermann. They are the driving force that brings excellence—or the dragging force that guarantees mediocrity. Are your supervisors driving your organization or putting a drag on it? Even a small supervisory...

Yesterday , we took a brief look at what OSHA is focusing on this year. Today, some more areas you as an HR professional should know about—plus an introduction to a detailed California-specific safety desk reference. OSHA Standards Based on National Consensus Standards–Signage— OSHA's...

Even though your focus is HR rather than safety, you need to have a solid working knowledge of what OSHA and Cal/OSHA are up to. Here’s a general overview of what OSHA is focusing on this year. Annual Survey of Illnesses and Injuries, Electronic Submission— OSHA's proposed rule will require...

The more informed you are about human resources technology options, the better decisions you’ll make when choosing what’s best for your company. This white paper gives you a roundup on how a human resource management system (HRMS) can free you from paperwork, reduce time spent on routine...

Can an employee view records upon request in California? In short, the answer is 'yes', and the employer has to comply with such a request within a specific time frame or risk incurring penalties. Upon a reasonable request, a California employer must allow employees to inspect records that include...

Yesterday’s CED featured tips for finding payroll fraud; today, tips from consultant Vicki Lambert, CPP, on who should do your payroll audit, plus an introduction to BLR’s popular HR Department of One . Lambert, who offers payroll training as “The Payroll Advisor,” says that you...

“Oh, it wouldn’t happen here” is a naive attitude to take toward internal fraud, says consultant Vicki M. Lambert, CPP. It’s more common than you might expect, but fortunately it’s not that hard to detect and prevent. Lambert, who offers payroll training as “The Payroll...

Do you believe in karma? Do you think a person brings upon himself inevitable results, whether they are good or bad? Does what goes around come around? These are some questions business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald ponders. Oswald, CEO of BLR, offered his thoughts on karma and leadership in a recent...

It’s always good to remember that people are people, says business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. In our society, we tend to put some people on a pedestal. Athletes, actors, musicians, and even business executives are revered and idolized. Consider how Michael Jordan, George Clooney, Elvis...

BLR’s HR editors recently shared their insights about challenges in 2013. In today’s Advisor, why compliance is going to get tougher in 2013. BLR’s HR editors recently shared their insights about challenges in 2013. In today’s Advisor, why compliance is going to get tougher in...

Recruiting is one area that easily comes to mind when employers are considering how to best use social media in the workplace. Social media sites like LinkedIn even have job-hunting components built right in. More and more companies are diving right in and using social media as the primary source for...

By Archana Mehta Fighting a deadly disease affecting millions of people — including far too many children — is inherently challenging. Adding political and cultural turmoil complicates the mission. Fortunately for millions of people in Africa, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation...

If you are fortunate to be hiring now, or have plans to hire in the future, it is important that you carefully choose your employees. A great hire can have a positive impact on revenue, while a bad hire can tarnish your reputation, decrease profitability, or worse, involve you in a lawsuit. Be sure to...

Knowing what types of immigration forms can be accepted for non-U.S.-residents is a very important issue for employers handling I-9 forms. Each category (in terms of immigration status) has its own set of rules and restrictions, so it’s crucial for employers to have a complete understanding of...

Yesterday’s CED offered insights into flextime successes from DOL’s website; today, more about access to, and the impact of, flex options. In the financial services companies questioned, professional-level and nonexempt staff usually have access to the same array of both regular flexible...

Where does your organization sit on the “flex spectrum”? This Corporate Voices for Working Families graphic helps you see where you stand: Learn the strategies and secrets that will help your workforce succeed—join us in Scottsdale this spring for the Strategic HR Leadership Summit...

Yesterday , consultant Andrew Botwin offered his take on employee engagement; today, he reveals 14 signs of disengagement. Signs of Disengagement Botwin, who is CEO of SPC (Strategy People Culture) Consulting in Florham Park, New Jersey, offers 14 signs of disengagement: High turnover Lack of cooperation...