Jan 13, 2011

If you are a nursing mother in the workplace, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) expects your employer to provide you with reasonable break time (unpaid) and a private space for expressing breast milk while at work, for one year after a child’s birth. The frequency of breaks needed to express breast milk varies depends on such factors as the age of the baby....

Nov 3, 2010

Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) Also known as S. 1584/H.R. 3017, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act bill is awaiting final legislative vote in the House and Senate in order to become official Federal law. Why is this legislation needed? Qualified, hardworking Americans are denied job opportunities, fired or otherwise discriminated against because...

Sep 23, 2010

Business owners operating in California know very well that mental stress is not only compensable as a workplace injury/illness, but it is a very common complaint amongst employees there. In fact, there are several states that provide for worker’s compensation coverage for mental stress under certain conditions. It is important that business owners learn how...

Sep 19, 2010

Coping is involved in any kind of change. Any form of adjustment requiring situation demands coping with a change in environment on the part of the person concerned. Some are good at coping and use strategies which relieve them of the stress and some people find it hard to accommodate to the new situation. This can happen at your work place too. You make get...

Sep 16, 2010

There is much controversy around the topic of human resource job descriptions and on whether they are useful. Before you can answer the infamous question you first need to ask what the job description will be used for. One of the things most businesses fail to see is that if written and used correctly, human resource job descriptions can be a powerful...

Jun 13, 2010

I just wanted to share a story that comes to mind as I consider the importance of communication in the workplace. As this story begins, plant managers were becoming concerned that their employees were being solicited to sign union organizing cards.  This was based on toxic communications such as rumors that had been circulating, whispered conversations amongst...

Jun 13, 2010

In case you don’t already know, lack of communication from management is usually the greatest cause for employee dissatisfaction and premature departure.  The best managers LISTEN to and frequently talk to all their employees.  They adopt an Open Door Policy to make it easy for employees to tell them about problems and concerns.  Communication should...

Jun 13, 2010

“Rewire them, don’t retire them!” a CEO screeches as he concludes a meeting where the hot topic was “what to do with employees that are at or close to retirement age.” Each day, more and more older workers are faced with the decision to continue working – some by choice and others by necessity. With retirement funds dwindling and in many cases,...