Human Resources
HIRING, LAYOFFS AND FIRING
If there’s a silver lining to the current rash of layoffs, it’s your opportunity to snag some excellent workers who are suddenly on the market. But – a lot of “good riddance” terminations are applying too. How can you pick up the best workers (who make you look good) while steering clear of the ones who bomb out within the first year (and make you look bad)? Speaker Paul Falcone will tell you – listen to a free 90-second clip now!
UPDATED FOR 2009 Once upon a time, bosses could hire or fire as they pleased. That was their job. Now a manager can’t fire even a hopelessly incompetent worker without worrying about being sued. That’s why we’ve mounted a campaign to show business owners and managers how to reassert their rights to hire and fire. With these two special reports, Fire at Will and Hire at Will, you’ll be able to tell lazy, ineffective workers to shape up or ship out – without winding up in court. Order this money-saving combo package for yourself and your management team today.
The current economic downturn is forcing deep cuts in the workforce. The sooner that you – and line supervisors – learn the proper steps to take (and those to avoid), the faster your organization will move down the path to legally safe, stress-free terminations. Allow nationally recognized employment law attorney Maria Greco Danaher, a frequent legal writer for the Society for Human Resource Management, to guide you through the correct policies and processes that will help you avoid unlawful-discharge claims. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
The ability to hire or fire well isn’t a mysterious art...it's a step-by-step science. There’s a right way – and many wrong ways – to do both. But supervisors and HR professionals continually make simple mistakes that put their organizations at risk and torpedo their own personal reputations. Don’t let that happen to you! Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Hiring the “perfect” candidate can be a daunting task. Great Hires – Every Time takes the pain out of the hiring process. This updated guide takes you through the whole process, from attracting qualified applicants, to navigating the interview process, to choosing the No. 1 candidate.
POLICY MANUALS
Do-It-Yourself Employee Manual
Get problem employees back in line with your own customized employee manual! The Do-It-Yourself Employee Manual provides sample language for 9 key areas that your manual should be covering. Using the easy-to-understand CD (included), you can add customizable pages to your current manual – or create a whole new “lawsuit-proofer” for your workplace. Give your personalized manual to every employee, and you’ll have the ammunition you need to defend yourself in court – or even better, to send the message that it’s not worth suing you.
The Book of Company Policies
In today’s highly regulated, litigious society, a single misstep can trigger lawsuits that blow away your company’s morale, productivity and profitability. That’s why you need clear and consistent policies on your organization’s rules, standards and benefits. The Book of Company Policies offers expert guidance on what policies you need and how to write them … communicate them … and put them to work. You’ll steer clear of potential legal landmines – helping your supervisors and managers save time and avoid daily hassles.
Learn to add new benefits, despite the economy and at little or no new cost. The HR experts at HR Specialist: Compensation & Benefits educate you on low-cost, high value benefits that are the most valuable to employees and return the greatest ROI for the organization. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Is your employee handbook an open invitation to sue you? With Bullet-Proof Your Employee Handbook you’ll fix the 10 disastrous mistakes found in almost every employee handbook and protect your organization against today’s newest trends in litigation. You’ll avoid the “cookie-cutter” trap and the policy-procedure blur, and secure enough wiggle room so you don’t get pinned down in court. Stop wondering about how you might be vulnerable – order Bullet-Proof Your Employee Handbook today.
UPDATED FOR 2009 Protect your company with the comprehensive and easy-to-understand instructions in The Employer’s Practical Legal Guide. Prepared by top employment attorneys – then translated into plain language for business people – this must-have manual has everything you need to know to stop trouble before it starts ... and limit the damage from innocent mistakes. More than 80 checklists and self-audit questionnaires help you target your company’s weak spots and correct them quickly.
FMLA, FLSA, EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION
The Labor Department rewrite of federal overtime laws was supposed to make it easier for you to avoid the many lawsuits and fines arising from misclassification of employees’ overtime status. But as even a top Labor official recently admitted, "We thought [the new regulation] would fix that. It really hasn’t." Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
FLSA Compliance Guide
Recent changes in the Labor Department's regulations have drastically altered the Fair Labor Standards Act, for example completely redefining which white-collar employees can earn overtime pay and which cannot. Don't guess how this applies to you! The FLSA Compliance Guide gives you a plain-English comprehensive review of the new law plus a list of frequently asked questions and a supplement with recent court decisions on FLSA-related cases.
Even the EEOC – the federal agency that protects workers from bias – was found to have violated overtime law. If the feds can’t even get the law right, how are you supposed to understand it? If you’re like most employers, your payroll is strewn with misclassified employees and other FLSA mistakes – ticking time bombs that could cost you a fortune. Attorneys Carol Bernick and John Coleman show you how to avoid common FLSA traps. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Major overhauls of the FMLA have now kicked in. Have you updated your FMLA policies and practices to stay in compliance? In this fast-moving and informative audio recording, expert speaker Matthew Effland walks you through the dozen-plus changes affecting everything from military-leave rules to notice obligations to certification procedures. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is indeed costly and confusing. Take control with the quick and easy advice in this practical resource, updated with the 10 key changes you need to know in the FMLA's revised regulations. You’ll learn what steps to take in hundreds of real-world situations and discover the 8 issues you must cover – in writing – with an employee requesting FMLA leave, whether you can legally fire someone who is on FMLA leave, and an amazingly simple strategy that prevents employees from taking 24 weeks of back-to-back leave. The FMLA Compliance Guide is guaranteed to give you concrete answers to your most perplexing FMLA questions.
Master FMLA paperwork like a pro … thwart employees who “game” the FMLA system … and confidently handle any FMLA question employees throw at you. Learn from the attorney who literally wrote the book on FMLA compliance, Matthew Effland, Esq. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Confusion over whether to classify workers as exempt vs. nonexempt triggers high-stakes lawsuits forcing employers to pay back-wage penalties and liquidated damages, plus thousands in attorney’s fees. Learn how to avoid becoming the victim of an employee lawsuit and how to stay under the Labor Department’s audit radar screen. Heed the lessons other employers have learned the hard way, and use the self-audit in this concise Executive Summary to make sure you’re properly classifying exempt employees.
Learn the latest leave-coordination strategies that will help you keep disruption and liability to an absolute minimum. Get answers to your toughest questions on how to make the “Bermuda Triangle” of FMLA, ADA and workers’ comp work for you instead of against you. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
When it comes to independent contractors, what you don’t know can hurt. Get step-by-step instructions on how to comply with IRS requirements without compromising your ability to make cost-effective hiring decisions. You’ll learn about the IRS’ 10-question test to determine classification, see a sample contract and review guidelines for 22 states with even stricter rules. Hire – or don’t hire – without fear!
Times are changing in HR immigration law. Are you and your organization prepared? The federal government is in the middle of a dramatic crackdown on illegal hiring and I-9 violations — and the feds say their new strategy “relies heavily on criminal prosecutions and the seizure of company assets to gain compliance.” Don’t put your organization or career at risk! Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
I-9 compliance (or the lack of it) used to be a “cost of doing business.” Not anymore. Strict compliance to the often-confusing I-9 rules is your only defense against serious monetary penalties and even criminal arrests. Are you sure that your I-9 practices can pass muster? Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
All it takes is one employee filing one complaint to get the class-action snowball rolling downhill. In this audio recording, we’ll help you identify all of those potentially devastating pay-related mistakes BEFORE they become Exhibit A in court. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
TRAINING
Do your managers have the HR know-how they need? Too often, employees are given managerial jobs based on their performance in non-managerial positions – not on their supervisory skills. Help them figure out the HR aspect of their job by downloading, customizing and distributing HR Memos to Managers. Your “good faith” effort to train your managers on sexual harassment, retaliation, FMLA compliance and 80+ other tricky topics goes a long way with the courts. Protect your organization now and in the future with the regular updates of HR Memos to Managers.
Office Administration
CO-WORKER RELATIONS
Discover how to identify and manage the 24 most challenging personality types! Working with underhanded, self-centered and troublesome people can be infuriating. Difficult People at Work gives you proven, practical strategies you can use immediately to restore the balance of power, improve your own working environment and put problem people in their place.
How often have you heard that the only way to win at office politics is with dirty tricks? The truth is that getting ahead is really about subtlety, finesse and the artful orchestration of your agenda. Learn how to play the game, increase your personal magnetism and remove the roadblocks between you and your most wished-for goals!
Mastering Business Etiquette & Protocol
We’ve all made social blunders at work, but the fact is, your career depends on your growing past youthful awkwardness into the mature poise that others can rely on. With Mastering Business Etiquette & Protocol, you’ll know instantly what to do or say when meeting important customers … attending meetings … traveling with your boss ... relaxing at a casual event with co-workers ... conversing with top executives … and approaching every interaction with confidence.
Business Protocol Handbook
Make sure you stand out for all the right reasons. With the Business Protocol Handbook, you’ll know what to do in every situation. Etiquette is about more than manners at the dinner table. Courtesy can get you noticed ... and even help you advance your career.
Nothing irks like jerks at work. But difficult people in the workplace can be far more than a minor annoyance. The good news is that there are steps you can take TODAY that will insulate you from risk ... improve productivity ... and create a happier workplace. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
MANAGING INFORMATION
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have had a major impact on the way people interact and communicate. Unfortunately, the impact is not always positive. That’s why The HR Specialist has teamed a leading HR social media expert with a top employment attorney to give you the full picture on how this communications revolution affects your workplace – and your work. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Today’s brave new world of MySpace, blogs, Google, and IMs has led to a scary new world for your organization. Where’s the line between prudent monitoring and invasion of privacy? Are sexy or violent postings mere “venting” – or a warning of workplace danger? Attorney John J. Coleman will succinctly tell you your risks and the sensible steps you can use to protect your organization. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Today’s brave new world of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, Google and IMs has led to a scary new world for your organization. Social media, e-mail and the Web are creating shocking new legal risks for U.S. employers. Learn about the new risks created by the Information Age – and the best strategies to avoid them. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
If you keep all your personnel records, you could be liable for not complying with the Federal Trade Commission’s “disposal rule,” which requires you to dispose of paper and records in a reasonable way. If you keep nothing, you’re virtually guaranteeing that you’ll lose every legal battle. Get the rules for developing a lawsuit-proof records-retention policy for disciplinary documentation, performance evaluations, workplace investigations and medical data. You’ll reduce the clutter, streamline record retrieval and protect yourself in court.
Increasingly rigorous state and federal workplace laws have generated tottering stacks of personnel records and full disks in workplaces across America. It’s tempting to have a wholesale cleanout. But if you destroy the wrong document, you could be destroying your career. Keep everything, and you may be violating federal regulations on the “reasonable” disposal of sensitive documents. Keep nothing, and you’re virtually guaranteed to lose in any legal battle. Find the safe and effective middle ground now! Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
If you thought the “paperless office” would make your job easier, think again. When it comes to electronic records, mistakes are easy to make – and very expensive to undo. These days, 70% of corporate records are stored electronically. Those electronic records can be your best legal friend … or your worst enemy. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
As an administrative professional, you’re constantly pressed for time. And while you can’t add more hours to the day, there is a simple way to better manage your time: by advancing your skills on the programs you already use every day. Armed with 59 Technology Tips for the Administrative Professional, you’ll do more than harness the latest office technology to your advantage. You’ll enhance your value to the organization – and dramatically increase your marketability!
77 Technology Tips to Boost Office Productivity
NEW FOR 2009 Office technology can help make your office more productive and efficient. But instead of learning (and buying) new software, now you can advance your skills on the programs you already use every day. This Special Report is written specifically for YOU – the busy professional who doesn’t have all day to attend a seminar or read a confusing manual. We'll show you how to get more out of the Web, Outlook, Excel, and even your cell phone – and many of these helpful programs are FREE.
Get vital business records organized once and for all! Poor records management can deplete profits and expose your company to compliance actions and legal liability. Taming the Paper Monster reveals why every organization needs a formal records-management program and shows you how to develop the right system for your firm.
In this 75-minute recording – presented by a Certified Microsoft Office Master Instructor – you’ll discover how to get more out of Outlook than you ever dreamed possible. This is your hands-on road map to Outlook that can send your productivity skyrocketing. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Outlook is for much more than just e-mail. Certified Microsoft Office Master Instructor Melissa P. Esquibel has composed an Executive Summary of her popular webinar to show you how to become more efficient with Outlook.
Avoid the pitfalls of Excel and get the most out of this program. No matter what your skill level is, Excel can save you time and increase your productivity. This Executive Summary is a combination of not one, but TWO training events led by Certified Microsoft Office Master Instructor Melissa P. Esquibel.
Every day, key meetings take place in your office. And the decisions made as a result of these meetings can involve millions of dollars, and even change people’s futures. Now, peerless minute-taking skills can be yours – in just minutes. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Who needs professionals when you can “steal” their design techniques? Let us show you how to pull everything together and design like a pro to create eye-catching newsletters, documents and brochures using just Word. You’ll learn how to unleash the power of Word (versions 2003 and 2007) to make your newsletters, reports, and everything you create look more professional. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Leadership
CAREER STRATEGIES
An infighter’s guide to winning the political game. Written by ‘Z,’ a 25-year veteran of the corporate battlefield who has climbed the ranks to head a $100 million information services company, this priceless volume contains 43 street-smart hints, tips, shortcuts, ploys, strategies and approaches for surviving – and making it big – in the company political arena.
The Mastering Business Series: Business Etiquette, Finance, Negotiation, Office Politics, Presentations
Top-notch business skills are the secret to staying employed through the recession. Turn hard times into an opportunity to sharpen your skills with the insights and strategies found only in the four-volume Mastering Business series. Plus, if you order now you’ll get a free gift that showcases your new skills!
It’s your choice to wander through a career that’s haphazard and unfocused … or to seize control of the biggest campaign of your life. When you’re ready to map out the strategies that will advance your career and win you the prizes you dream of, Business Is War: 9 Classic Rules of War for Winning Big in Business is your field manual for business success.
No matter where or when you’re in the spotlight, you’ll be cool, clear and persuasive with tactics that make your points come alive, distill your best message and tenderize the toughest audience. Use the methods perfected by legendary speakers such as FDR and Abraham Lincoln and by high-profilers Steve Jobs and Jerry Seinfeld. Then enjoy the applause!
Enjoy a whole new level of persuasive power. This step-by-step guide is for everyone (even the nervous, pushy, impulsive or tongue-tied) who wants a better deal at home, at work ... and in life! Packed with practical pointers, Mastering Business Negotiation will show you how to negotiate with forcefulness and grace by building skills in four critical areas: listening, clarity of purpose, confidence and emotional control.
Mastering Business Finance
In today’s downsizing business world, employees at all levels – and in all departments – need to understand business finance. If you’ve never had to worry about finance before, this array of numbers and terms can be overwhelming. Don’t let a lack of financial knowledge get you embarrassed – or downsized. Mastering Business Finance help you crunch the numbers like a Wall Street pro. You’ll get step-by-step insights into the world of finance. You’ll be using – and understanding – financial terms within days. One quick read of will make you fluent in the language of business finance.
As workplaces grow increasingly diverse, business networking skills are rarer – and more important – than ever before. This audio recording will help your employees develop talents that will grow your business AND their value to you. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
MANAGING EMPLOYEES
Make your performance appraisals work for you – not against you! How you conduct employee performance reviews can have a major impact not only on how your employees view their jobs, but on how they regard your organization and you. Many books offer general suggestions for improving performance, but few discuss specific ways to make reviews more effective. The Manager’s Guide to Effective, Legal Performance Reviews shows you how to conduct appraisals with clearly established expectations and no misinterpretation.
Your Guide to Effective, Practical Performance Reviews audio recording will tell you how to improve your performance review process – while avoiding the legal hazards that lurk in every review. Discover how to reduce the anxiety and extract the maximum benefit from your worn-down appraisal process. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
How do you react when faced with poor-performing or disruptive employees? Unfortunately, too many managers simply play ostrich, sticking their head in the sand and hoping the situation improves. Don’t let this happen in your organization! With this entertaining and informative recording, expert trainer Amy Henderson will teach you and your supervisors a series of practical, real-life tools to handle even the toughest problem employees. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Getting more done in less time is probably your #1 goal – and troubled workers are your #1 obstacle to achieving it. That’s why we’ve developed Troublesome People at Work, the perfect resource to help you quickly “fix” your “broken” workers so that you can focus on your own career – and to sleep better at night instead of fuming about their annoying, inefficient, or possibly dangerous behavior.
Inappropriate attire … tardiness … poor work habits …. sexually offensive behavior … personal hygiene. Managers and HR professionals are routinely forced to discuss those uncomfortable topics with employees. But most never learned how. Learn exactly what to say and how to say it. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
You never know what employees will do next. How you react to curveballs can mean the difference between a good laugh and a lawsuit. Today’s Most Bizarre Workplace Cases: How to Prevent Outrageous Workplace Behavior will teach you practical tips to help your organization avoid legal and PR nightmares – and know how to respond if they do occur. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
There are certain practices and behaviors that practically BEG for a savvy plaintiff’s counsel to pounce on you. If you knew what these practices and behaviors were, you’d change them. But how can you find out? With this unique look at the things employers often do that leave them vulnerable to lawsuits. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Taking simple steps to improve your employees’ health can DRASTICALLY reduce your organization’s health care costs. 7 Easy Steps to Slashing Health Care Costs through Wellness will teach you the 7 easy, practical steps to launch and manage an effective wellness program in your organization. The ultimate benefit: You’ll take back control of your health care costs. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Never before have employees been so quick to pull the lawsuit trigger – and that puts your organization (and your career) in jeopardy. Compounding the risk, the EEOC has become more aggressive in 2009 than ever before in pursuing discrimination lawsuits against small employers and for smaller violations. Don’t get caught in this lawsuit “perfect storm.” Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Most managers avoid documenting discipline. That’s because they lack the time (and the confidence) to compose well-structured write-ups. Start tackling discipline head-on today! These smart strategies are guaranteed to help you manage your progressive discipline policies and document even the most difficult discussions.Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Sharon Drew Morgen offers the battle-tested decision-making techniques she pioneered in her 20+ years in the sales arena. This unique recording explores the process of how decisions are actually made. And once you understand the process, you can steer outcomes in the direction you want them to go ... on a sales call or in the boardroom. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Have you ever wished you had a smart, trusted employment lawyer to sort through all that for you? You can have that meeting from the comfort of your own office – and with an employment law authority, attorney Pat Stanton, who also is a fabulously entertaining speaker! Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Never had to worry about unions before? You do these days. If you want to stay union-free, employers must begin now to change their strategies and responses to this great new risk. Find out how to keep unions at bay ... while complying with the latest rules AND keeping your employees happy. Listen to a free 90-second clip now!
Taxation
SMALL BUSINESS TAXES
UPDATED FOR 2009 If you own or manage a small business, you can double or triple your real income. Unbelievable as it may sound, new IRS rules offer owners and managers of closely held businesses breaks so large that your tax savings can actually surpass your main source of income. By staking your claim now, you can take your share of this huge tax-saving windfall – starting this year. Use the practical, 100% legal strategies in this exclusive special report to enhance your personal wealth, shift your income and distribute your assets to reduce your tax liability now and in the years to come.
The IRS has used the threat of an audit to discourage the use of perfectly legal tax deductions. And it has worked – until now. With Audit-Proof Your Small Business you’ll know what patterns and figures the IRS and its computers “read” to target a taxpayer. Then you’ll use that knowledge to help your business stay tax-aggressive – yet audit-free!
The odds of going through an audit without facing additional taxes are 4-to-1 against you. No taxpayer should file a return without reading Anti-Audit Warfare first. This one-of-a-kind insider’s guide tells you exactly what to do when you get an audit notice in the mail. You’ll be making all the right moves, thanks to savvy tips like these: particular items the IRS looks for on your return, how to reconstruct your records legally, when it’s possible to sue the IRS and recover sizable sums, and much more!
UPDATED FOR 2009 To help your company, heed Warren Buffett’s advice to “Be greedy when others are fearful.” And you can – legally. The IRS is urging you to supercharge your expense account with the strategies found in 76 Ways to Maximize Your Expense Account Deductions. So get out there and find the new opportunities that are waiting for you!
RETIREMENT AND ESTATE PLANNING
Retirement Tax Guide
UPDATED FOR 2009 This Special Report explains how you can maximize your retirement dollars by taking full advantage of the many tax-reducing shelters, trusts, credits and deductions available. You learn the pros and cons of every imaginable financial strategy, along with step-by-step advice to make them work for you.
The Book of Trusts
Protect your assets with a powerful trust. New types of trusts offer a variety of tax-wise ways you can protect your hard-earned wealth while keeping control over how and when your money is spent. The Book of Trusts shows how you can use trusts to dodge probate, avoid Medicaid liens, save for your children’s education, transfer income-generating assets into lower tax brackets, shelter your wealth from your creditors, provide for your surviving spouse … and more!
TAX PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
89 Tax Strategies Your Clients Will Love
UPDATED FOR 2009 For every deduction or tax-reduction tip you miss, you actually lose twice. Not only do you lose the opportunity to save your clients money, but you also miss a chance to further prove your value to your customers. This insightful Special Report will help you find deductions even the most seasoned tax pro may not be aware of. You’ll discover ways to save your clients thousands, and you can use these techniques for your personal taxes as well!
12 Ways to Boost Your Practice’s Profits
Used to be, you could just hang up a shingle, sit back and wait for clients to come flooding in. It’s not that simple anymore. Today, you’ve got to fight for every piece of new business – and 12 Ways to Boost Your Practice’s Profits will help you win the battle. And it won’t cost you a fortune: Most of the tips in 12 Ways are low-cost, low-risk and at least moderate-return (or more!). This concise Executive Summary is designed specifically to help you build your tax practice without busting your budget.
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