Day: August 16, 2012

Small Employer Plans More Likely to Change Course in Response to Health Reform

In response to health reform, some employers may stop offering health coverage and opt instead to pay a fine, give workers a raise and send them to state-run health insurance exchanges. Compensating for that , the individual mandate may drive about 4 million workers into employer plans, according to research from various sources compiled by […]

HR Far Removed? I Don’t Think So (‘Seat at the Table’ Talkback)

Our recent epinion “Human Resources–STILL Not a Strategic Partner?” elicited a number of interesting responses from readers. One lamented about being the last to know, while others boosted the strategic importance of HR. Here are the responses: HR Far Removed? I Don’t Think So HR is far removed from the people and points that make […]

Appeals Court Upholds Award for Teacher with Seasonal Affective Disorder

A school district failed to accommodate a teacher with seasonal affective disorder, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has determined, upholding a jury’s award of damages. The 7th Circuit had already heard the case, Ekstrand v. School District of Somerset (No. 11-1949, June 26, 2012), once before. Renae Eskstrand filed suit against her employer, […]

Hazmat Training Guidance from PHMSA

Hazmat transportation regulations require employee training and establish the basic rules for educating employees. But it’s up to you to determine training needs and set up an effective training program. To help employers meet employee training requirements under the hazmat transportation regulations, DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) periodically publishes guidance materials. Here […]

Elevator Etiquette

By Kyle Emshwiller Forget about elevator pitches, it seems like more and more workers are using those few seconds to annoy coworkers and execs, rather than to network with them. A recent CareerBuilder survey asked respondents to share odd behaviors they have witnessed in the elevator. We were shocked at some of the responses, especially […]

Safety Lesson from Julia Child

By Elaine Quayle HR Strange but True joins in the celebration of what would have been Julia Child’s 100th birthday on August 15. We honor her not only for her culinary skills but as a pioneer of “distance learning” through her television cooking shows. As part of the tribute to this icon, here is a […]

It’s WARS Against Arrogant Bosses

By Elaine Quayle Employees who always knew their bosses were egotistical, condescending, and supercilious can now declare WARS on them to prove it! Thanks to joint research at the University of Akron (UA) and Michigan State University, we now have the Workplace Arrogance Scale—or WARS. According to a press release, WARS was presented at the […]

The Four Signs of Bad Turnover

Four signs of bad turnover are: Your turnover rate is high compared to industry norms Your turnover rate is high compared those with whom you compete for employees A significant number of employees leave to work for competing employers You are losing many of your top performing employees. In these cases, begin to seek out […]