human resources

March 1, 2008

Categories

Compliance

Americans With Disabilities

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities. Employers with 15 or more employees are covered by the ADA. Qualified individuals include applicants for employment and employees. A person with a disability includes anyone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a one or more major life activity, has a record of such an impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment. Congress is considering limiting the definition of disability to a physical or mental impairment leaving out the impact of a major life activity. Proponents of S.1881/H.R. 3195, the ADA Restoration […]

February 1, 2008

Categories

Compliance

Tech Know-How

Policies are designed to provide employers control and employees consistency. Ideally, supervisors receive policy training to provide guidance to employees prior to issues arising. Today, it’s difficult to keep up with the consequences of workplace technology. The world is becoming turbulent faster than companies are becoming resilient, according to management guru, Gary Hamel. Usage of personal cell phones with cameras, non-work use of e-mail and the Internet, and illegal downloads of software onto company equipment are areas sometimes neglected in handbooks and policy manuals until issues arise. The National Labor Relations Board decision (see Legislative Update) demonstrates the legal control […]

January 1, 2008

Categories

Performance

The New Supervisor

Top performers are generally spotted as management material. These employees are offered an opportunity to step up when a management position becomes available. It’s viewed as a reward, as a method to keep the top performer engaged and to grow talent within the organization. The reality of losing the department’s top performer is quickly felt by the management team. This often gives rise to the new supervisor becoming a working manager; one who is asked to continue performing in the previous position, in addition to assuming overall departmental goals and personnel supervision. Most new supervisors believe they will have authority […]

November 1, 2007

Categories

Compliance

Meeting Madness

Most employees bemoan the hours spent in meetings. In a recent online survey by Microsoft, employees stated they waste nearly two days of every work week. 42% indicated procrastination was the leading cause of wasted time; followed by 34% who felt ineffective meetings were the culprit. Senior managers spend between 11 and 23 hours per week in meetings, while all other employees spend an average of 5.5 hours per week according to a Wall Street Journal survey. A simple way to measure the cost of meetings is to calculate the hourly rates of those in attendance, multiplied by the hours […]