by Chelsea V. Brown
As summer heats up, temperatures start to rise, anticipation for family vacations and summer holidays grows, and the spirit of summer can be felt throughout the workplace. As the arrival of summer becomes increasingly evident in cubicles and corner offices, employees can become relaxed about workplace rules and conduct. In some instances, [...]

Human resources professionals have long debated whether to give references about former employees. It’s simultaneously tempting and scary to spill what you know about a less-than-desirable former employee. You also may be eager to sing the praises of an exemplary ex-employee you want to see do well in future endeavors.
Regardless of whether you decide to [...]

by Sophie E. Zdatny
Recently, the Employers Counsel Network (ECN) met in Alexandria, Virginia, where several notable speakers stopped by to provide their insights on current developments in the employment arena at the national level and to share their predictions for President Barack Obama’s second term. This is [...]

We’re deep into spring, the time when cubicle-bound employees may be planning their escape and vying for prime spots on the time-off calendar. Or maybe they’re so busy with the daily grind that they don’t even dream of walks on the beach or majestic mountain views.
When it comes to time off, HR professionals deal with [...]

No one wants to get burned by hiring a bad apple, so it’s common for employers to conduct background checks to lessen the chance of bringing a dishonest employee into the workplace. But as hazardous as it is to have shady employees, it also can be dangerous to step out of line when checking people [...]

by Tammy Binford
When Yahoo! Inc. CEO Marissa Mayer decided her company would be better off if home-based workers relocated to the office, she gave a lot of people a lot to talk about. And telecommuters, HR professionals, executives, and bloggers sounded off in a big way.
The furor started with a memo in February that was [...]

by Lyndel Erwin
An eager young college graduate approaches you looking for work as an intern and offering to do the job for free just to gain experience and make contacts in the industry. A retiree offers to volunteer in your hospital just to have something to fill her day. It looks like a win-win situation [...]

Everyone knows the clichés “cheaters never prosper” and “honesty is the best policy,” but that doesn’t mean employees always take those maxims to heart. Whether it’s padding an expense account, failing to clock out for lunch, or large-scale embezzling, some employees will cross the line into unethical territory. Take, for example, the case of the [...]

by Karen Gwinn Clay
Q Our management team wants to mandate that every employee get a flu shot. I know there will be resistance from our employees on differing grounds (religious belief, fear, and the like). Help!
A Unless an employee is in a health care setting, this is a difficult call. For hospitals, nursing homes, and [...]

by Joseph Godwin
Happy New Year! I hope the holiday season was a joy-filled one with plenty of time to spend with family and friends ― the most important people in our lives.
Now it’s January and time for making ― and implementing ― those dreaded annual “resolutions.” The economy, while slowly improving, remains weak [...]