Strategic Planning

Diversity: It’s not just an HR function anymore

08/26/2013

Organization-wide diversity can’t just be the diversity professional’s job or the HR manager’s responsibility. It requires true partnership and participation across functional areas to align efforts that support a shared vision for diversity and inclusion.

Can we ask employees about retirement intentions?

08/19/2013

Q. Is it OK to ask members of our management team what their tentative retirement plans are so we can focus on having enough trained people ready to step up when vacancies occur?

U.S. Supreme Court rules on DOMA, California’s Prop 8

07/23/2013

The U.S. Supreme Court in June issued two highly anticipated decisions addressing same-sex marriage in cases that resonated nationwide and in California. The cases are significant for employers because they are likely to have ripple effects on state, federal and local laws, in particular those dealing with employee benefit plans, taxation and immigration.

National origin, language & religion: Legally managing diversity at work

07/17/2013

To achieve compliance and prevent successful discrimination claims (which could involve class-action exposure), employers must be attuned to workplace issues around national origin, religion and race. For most employers, this means training management and HR personnel to carefully consider their policy-making and daily decisions that can affect such issues.

DOMA overturned, launching HR overhaul

07/09/2013

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 26 ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, a decision that set in motion a sweeping rewrite of federal rules affecting benefits administration and payroll operations.

‘Inclusion’ center to help Deloitte redefine diversity

07/03/2013

Deloitte is redefining what “inclusion” means in its workforce. The professional services giant in March launched the Deloitte University Leadership Center for Inclusion to “expand the understanding of inclusion” by disrupting the “traditional views of diversity and work/life fit.”

Don’t let fear of lawsuits stop reorganization efforts

06/07/2013

Companies that don’t change with the times risk going out of business. But change can be uncomfortable for employees, especially if it affects them directly in lost pay, status or even continued employment. Don’t let the possibility of a lawsuit keep you from making necessary adjustments.

Avoid July 5 fireworks

05/10/2013

July 4 falls on the worst possible day of the week for scheduling concerns—Thursday.

Unseen lawsuit peril: Too much performance input from too many co-workers

05/09/2013

Seeking performance appraisal input from too many employees can cause problems if you’re sued by a terminated worker. The wider a net you cast, the more likely someone will be called to testify about his or her opinion of the discharged employee’s performance. The problem: If any of those co-workers retire, quit and move on, you may have trouble tracking them down.

4 steps to link variable pay with performance

04/24/2013

Bonuses are back, according to research conducted by the Hay Group. But with a pragmatic nod to today’s austere business environment, employers are taking a hard look at why they’re dishing out variable pay, what they want it to accomplish and how they decide who gets how much.