HR Management

5 tips to avoid liability for benefit plan mistakes

08/24/2010

Anyone with responsibility for health, benefit, disability, severance, education or other benefit plans is a “fiduciary” and can be held personally liable for plan errors under ERISA. Attorney Sherwin Kaplan says employers should take these steps to avoid errors that could subject a fiduciary to liability:

California cities rated among best for working mothers

08/23/2010

Six California metropolitan areas ranked in the top 50 on Forbes magazine’s 2010 list of the nation’s best cities for working mothers. Forbes rated the cities against criteria that considered women’s income, cost of living, availability of pediatricians, safety, employment opportunities and spending on education.

10 ways to motivate employees toward self-empowerment

08/20/2010

Managers and HR pros can’t empower employees, but they can create an environment that motivates them to want to act in an empowered way. Here is a 10-step model for encouraging and motivating employees. It will help them build the confidence they need to empower themselves to make decisions and take risks:

Chicago ranks 21st in best cities for working mothers

08/18/2010

Chicago ranked 21st on Forbes magazine’s latest list of the top 50 U.S. cities for working mothers. Forbes ranked metropolitan areas according to women’s income, cost of living, availability of pediatricians, safety, employment opportunities and spending on education.

Hiring MS Word experts? Look ‘inside’ the résumé

08/18/2010

When hiring people who tout themselves as Microsoft Word “experts,” here’s a way to see if they really know how to use the software: Ask them to send the résumé in Word format, then simply click the Show/Hide button. It can reveal telltale signs of rookie moves.

Online learning: Back-to-school picks

08/17/2010

Autumn brings with it a “back to school” feeling that can be sated only with a seminar or course. And there’s no easier, more affordable source for online learning than iTunes. Find out about this new, free training resource that just might work in your organization.

The HR I.Q. Test: August ’10

08/13/2010

Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

Illness won’t bar unemployment; violating call-in policy may

08/12/2010

Employees who are terminated because they become ill and can’t meet attendance standards can still collect unemployment compensation benefits. But employees terminated because they didn’t follow call-in policies can’t. That’s misconduct, which bars receiving benefits.

Twin Cities top Forbes list for working mothers

08/12/2010

Minneapolis-St. Paul’s low crime and unemployment rates nudged the Twin Cities past Washington, D.C., and Boston to gain the top spot on Forbes magazine’s best city for working mothers list.

6 ways to engage workers as outlook brightens

08/11/2010

In a Robert Half International survey, employees rated “working for a stable company” and “having a strong sense of job security” as the two most important factors about their work situation. Robert Half District President Brett Good suggests that organizations should leverage that new desire for stability during the hiring process. Here are six ideas from the survey that might work for you: