When I first started reading Wired.com’s wiki article on how to conduct a remote meeting, I chuckled a little. Step 1 is “Set a time” — isn’t that a little elementary? As I read on, though, I was reminded that sometimes it’s those simple “no duh” points that we can forget to pay attention to but can mean a big difference when it comes to how smoothly a meeting will run.

Here is a quick look at Wired.com’s 6 steps for running a remote meeting: read more…

Previously, we discussed the dangers of distracted driving — when employees use mobile technology (yours or theirs) while driving a car (yours or theirs) — and gave some tips for writing policies for your handbook. Now, we bring you actions you can take to further ensure that your employees don’t drive distracted courtesy of employment law attorney Eileen Johnson:

1. Check the driving record of any employee who regularly drives as part of his work duties. You might already do that when hiring new drivers. However, you should review employees’ driving records at least annually to ensure they remain safe drivers. read more…

The decline of the English language continues as the Oxford English Dictionary announced that it was adding “OMG” and “LOL” to its lexicon of new words. It seems that texts, “tweets” and e-mails have forced the language wise men at Oxford to include these words in its latest update. OMG, INDEED!

Need gift ideas? We’ve got you’ve covered, or at least, we’ve got your iPad covered. Now you can purchase special protective covers that are guaranteed to peanut butter-proof your iPad or any other electronic tablet. Is this really necessary?

Twitter continues to show up in the most unlikely of places-the hiring process for summer interns.

And, finally, for those of you too busy to attend the royal wedding of Prince William & Kate Middleton, I am pleased to announce several apps for your tablets and smart phones that will keep you in the loop. OMG, I was feeling so guilty about turning down Will’s invite to his nuptials, so I’m very grateful to have these apps on hand. Will and I go back a long way. We interned together at the Oxford English Dictionary. We’ve come full circle and hopefully, you’re LOL. Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

What else is happening?

-Ralph Gaillard

Have you heard about ROWE, the latest work/life balance program? ROWE, which stands for Results-Only Work Environment, is gaining traction at companies like Gap, Best Buy, and others. In a ROWE program, employees “are measured by their results, not time spent in the office. As long as employees get their jobs done, when and where they do that is irrelevant.”

I can’t imagine a program like this existing 5, 10, or 15 years ago. It seems we have technology to thank for smart, cutting-edge programs such as ROWE. Whether we like it or not, technology is increasingly making the concept of the office or cubicle irrelevant.

Evidence that ROWE adopters may be on to something as workplace stress and burnout levels continue to rise.

Following up to the “Ban the BlackBerry” movement, India has given RIM, BlackBerry’s manufacturer, until August 31 to make all encrypted information available to the government or face a ban of its devices.

But wait, there’s more…Google and Skype may be next on India’s hit list. Government documents suggest that India may ask Skype and Google for greater access to its encrypted information, including encrypted e-mail and text messages.

Recently, Twitter announced a new feature that will make it easier for users to “tweet” their favorite online articles and web pages. That’s what we need; more stuff to read online. I don’t know about you, but are we reaching a breaking point with social media? One, in which the whole systems crashes because of information overload!!!???

What else is happening?

– Ralph Gaillard

In Quon v. City of Ontario, the 9th Circuit held that a California police department’s review of an officer’s text messages was an invasion of the officer’s right to privacy. In a unanimous ruling issued yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Quon decision and ruled that the police department’s review of the provocative text messages sent by the officer to his wife and to his mistress from his employer-issued pager, did not constitute an invasion of the officer’s privacy. (Link to the full opinion in City of Ontario v. Quon <http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-1332.pdf> ).

For employers, the key component of the decision is the Court’s focus on the fact that the police department-employer’s review of the messages comported with its policy and was conducted for a legitimate business reason. The department’s policy provided that messages would not be reviewed unless the employee went over the allotted monthly usage. In Quon, the officer had exceeded the monthly limit, and the department reviewed the messages to determine whether the overages were work-related. Officers were responsible for costs incurred for nonwork-related messages if they went over the monthly limit.

read more…