nora akins

June 1, 2009

Categories

Civility

Pointy-Haired Boss

We can laugh at the pointy-haired boss whom Dilbert suffers and with Michael Scott on “The Office” because almost everyone has had a bad boss. More than one study reveals nine-out-of-ten employees have worked for a bad manager. John Hollon of Workforce Management recently proclaimed Sam Zell, the CEO of the Tribune Company as the winner of the Stupidus Maximus Award. This award honors the most ignorant, shortsighted and dumb workforce management practitioner of the year.

May 1, 2009

Categories

Civility

Reducing Personnel Costs

If the recession doesn’t kill you, the recovery will is an expression that has made an impression on a number of companies. Personnel have been cut to the bone and companies are realizing that former employees walked away with institutional intelligence. Robert Olson, Winnebago Industries’ CEO uses furloughs and moved to a four-day work week to remain poised for the market’s turn around. Olson said, “You can’t cut your way to prosperity.” Furloughs (temporary lay-offs) are growing in popularity. Furloughs can reduce overhead expenses and retain employees. Until recently, furloughs were thought to reduce morale and productivity. However in these […]

April 1, 2009

Categories

Compliance

Discrimination Cases At Record High

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released its statistics for fiscal year 2008 which ended September 30, 2008. The number of cases filed in every category increased, totaling a record 95,402 claims filed, a 15% increase. Age discrimination saw the biggest increase, + 29% and retaliation claims increased by 23%. In cases filed, race discrimination maintained its lead, followed by retaliation, sex, and age. As the unemployment rate soars, so will the discrimination cases. The unemployment rate in LaPorte County, Indiana increased from 5.9% in January 2008 to 11.1% in January 2009. According to ELT-Inc., every 1.5% increase in […]

March 1, 2009

Categories

Compliance

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Lilly Ledbetter was a supervisor at a Goodyear tire factory in Alabama for more than 19 years. At the end of her career, she discovered she had been paid less than her male colleague. The Supreme Court invalidated Ledbetter’s claim because the wage discrimination initially occurred when she started her job, nearly 20 years earlier. According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, claims must be filed within 180 days after the alleged unlawful practice or in our case, 300 days since Indiana operates equal employment agencies. This new law, the first piece of legislation signed by President Obama […]