Training

Tell managers: No discrimination for in vitro fertilization

08/13/2008

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) prohibits discrimination “because of or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.” Until now, it was an open question whether that law covered fertility treatments. Now the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that employers can’t punish female employees for undergoing in vitro fertilization …

3 Keys to Creating ‘Employee Lifetime Value’

08/12/2008

Savvy business people have long focused on customer lifetime value—the gains to had from cultivating lifelong relationships with customers eager to patronize them again and again. Here are three keys to nurturing those same kinds of relationships with employees—and reaping the same kinds of rewards.

Act fast to investigate, correct hostile work environment signs

08/08/2008

It’s not unusual to read about racially motivated incidents that occur at work. Slurs, graffiti and other acts of intimidation can lead to hostile environment lawsuits. By the time the graffiti shows up or the slurs are uttered, some of the damage has already been done. However, smart employers react immediately and try to limit the damage …

What is the ‘Lifetime value’ of your employees?

08/01/2008

Businesses have always understood the value of cultivating lifelong relationships with customers eager to patronize them again and again as their lifestyles change and they need new products or services. Nurturing those same kinds of relationships with employees has just as much value …

EMC grooms leaders in-house as part of development strategy

08/01/2008

Technology company EMC saves money on recruiting by sending its high-potential employees to school—at an in-house university. More than half of the Hopkinton, Mass., organization’s corporate-level director positions are filled from within …

Legally speaking, sheriff and deputies aren’t county employees

07/25/2008

Gary Edwards, Deputy Deborah Nelson and Deputy Anthony Smith arrived on the scene to find Billy Ray Cook crawling on his stomach in the street. Upon spotting the officers, Cook began yelling, “Please don’t let them shoot me.” Cook strenuously resisted being cuffed and shackled, so the officers shocked him with their Tasers. Unfortunately, this—combined with a massive quantity of cocaine in Cook’s system—killed him …

Recoup training costs, but beware doing so with last paycheck

07/18/2008

Employers can and should get applicants and employees to agree to pay back training costs if they depart before the company gets fair value. But collecting the money can be tricky. You can’t, for example, withhold the money out of a final paycheck if that move takes the employee’s hourly wage below the minimum allowed by law …

Remind supervisors: You have duty to prevent customer harm

07/07/2008

Employers aren’t just liable for harm that comes to employees while they work. Employers also have to keep customers safe. That duty even includes making sure off-duty employees don’t harm customers if that harm is foreseeable …

Prepare to meet older workers’ needs for ‘Encore careers’

07/03/2008

Your organization’s mature workers might decide not to end their careers when they reach retirement age. If your organization wants to keep experienced, retirement-age employees on board, prepare to meet the needs of this older cohort. Here’s how …

Make sure bosses tell employees how to report harassment

07/01/2008

Have your supervisors and managers kept up with the changes by regularly reminding all employees—new and old—how they can report alleged sexual harassment? If not, you need to set up a training schedule. It’s the best way to ensure no employee will come out of left field with a sexual harassment complaint, take it to court—and win …