HRMagazine back issues from December 2005:
HR's disaster response: a reason for pride.(human resource )
Dec 01, 2005; ... In a normal year, we would use this column to recall the accomplishments of the past year, provide a glimpse into the future and spread good wishes. But 2005--with its rash of natural disasters--hasn't been a normal year. The images of an inundated New Orleans, with many of its citizens ...
Meth cranks up in the workplace.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Ice. Crank. Crystal. The street names for methamphetamine are not words you expect to hear in the halls of corporate America. But, increasingly, this highly addictive stimulant is moving from the street into white-collar workplaces. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What's ...
Communicating when the lines are down.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Many disaster plans went up in smoke after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ripped through the Gulf States a few months ago. Despite their best plans, many employers were simply unprepared for the amount of devastation--or for the loss of telecommunications, which hampered efforts to reach ...
An ounce of prevention.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
Dec 01, 2005; ... It can creep up on you slowly over time. It's rarely intentional. But if you find your compensation system suffering from a condition known as "compression," beware: It can sweep through your organization's salary structure like a bad case of the flu. Compression occurs when new ...
Practice makes perfect for leaders, too.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
Dec 01, 2005 ... Are great leaders born, or can they be developed? "They can absolutely be developed," and facilitating that development is HR's job, says Jonathan Byrnes, senior lecturer at MIT and president of Jonathan Byrnes & Co. consultancy. "HR is the absolute most important function in any company." ...
Talent shortage problematic for Chinese economy.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... The Chinese education system is producing plenty of college graduates--3.1 million this year, compared with only 1.3 million in the United States--but they lack practical skills and have little proficiency in English, according to a new research report from economic think tank McKinsey ...
Professionals declare their independence.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005; ... In search of gaining control over their careers, more professionals are abandoning full-time jobs to go it alone, according to a recent study by the Hudson Highland Group, a staffing and executive search firm. The study of college graduates with incomes in the top 10 percent in ...
Take control of your retirement program.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... A recent survey of global employers reports that the majority (64 percent) said they lack control over their retirement benefits at a time when costs are mounting and government compliance is increasingly complex. Most of the 100 large multinational companies surveyed identified ...
What do you want to be?(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... If they had it to do over, many executives would pick a different career--but not necessarily because they dislike the careers they've had. In a recent Korn/Ferry International survey of more than 1,700 global executives, more than half said it was "highly likely" (21 percent) ...
Article overstates employer's burden.(From Readers)(Letter to the Editor)
Dec 01, 2005; ... September's "ADEA Prevention Not Panic" correctly indicated that it will be easier for employers to legally justify employment practices that exhibit disparate impact under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act than under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (CRA). However, the ...
HR needs to learn how to sell change.(From Readers)(Letter to the Editor)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Susan Meisinger's From the President column in September highlighted Fast Company magazine's conclusion that HR is the corporate function with the greatest potential--"and also the one that most consistently underdelivers." The Fast Company article ends with Jay Jamrog's conclusion that HR ...
Correction.(Correction Notice)
Dec 01, 2005 ... "Have a Plan Before Data Is Lost, Stolen" (HR News, October) misspelled the name and gave a wrong location ...
High court: pay workers to don protective gear.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Once it starts, the workday is continuous and compensable, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified. In a unanimous decision written by the most senior judge, Justice John Paul Stevens, the court ruled that the workday includes the time employees spend walking from changing areas where ...
Proposed cut in tax break for health benefit blasted.(Panel Discussion)
Dec 01, 2005; ... The proposal to limit the amount of tax-free health insurance benefits employees receive likely will meet stiff political resistance, according to some political observers. The idea drew immediate criticism from economists and employee benefits specialists who said the change would lead to ...
New leave year renews employers' right to FMLA certification.(Family and Medical Leave Act)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... An employer may insist on new medical certification, not just recertification, for an employee's first Family and Medical Leave Act absence in a new leave year, the U.S. Department of Labor ...
Makeup and motherhood: beware gender stereotyping.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... If you think you know what "sex" means, think again. A number of recent decisions in workplace sex ...
'Entitlement generation' label for young workers is challenged.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... "This generation just doesn't want to pay its dues." We've all heard it. And we might have experienced it. Young ...
DOL distinguishes imposed gratuities from tips.(Department of Labor)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... Gratuities imposed on customers do not have the same compensation plan advantages for employers as tips, which entitle ...
California living wage violation costs firm $1.1 million.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... An employer was ordered to pay all employees assigned to a city contract the locally mandated living wage for all hours worked during the contract term, ...
Strategy conference challenges HR leaders.(human resource)
Dec 01, 2005; ... If there's one lesson that American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha "Marty" Johnson Evans learned after Hurricane Katrina struck, it's that every organization--and every individual--should be ready for disaster. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] People need to take ...
New study disputes forecast of skills gap.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Workplace readiness is becoming an often-voiced concern as HR professionals face the prospect of a smaller, and what they believe is an ill-equipped, workforce. But there is little evidence of a large or growing gap between employer's demand for skilled workers and their supply, ...
Davis-Bacon wage law back in Gulf Coast: federal contractors again required to pay prevailing wages.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Prevailing wages for federal contract construction workers in Katrina disaster areas were required again as of Nov. 8, when the Bush administration lifted its suspension of the Davis-Bacon Act in the region. "In response to the unprecedented devastation caused by Hurricane ...
Katrina victims get second COBRA break: deadline extended on other benefits, retirement reports.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Benefits plans, participants and beneficiaries in Katrina disaster areas will have well into next year before they will be required to satisfy all COBRA notice and other health care continuation coverage requirements. The Department of Labor (DOL) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ...
Deleting e-mail can cost big legal bucks.
Dec 01, 2005; ... E-mail messages that might lead to relevant evidence in an employment lawsuit are discoverable by an opposing party, and even their inadvertent loss or destruction can bring down painful consequences on an offender, according to law conference speakers. Jackson Lewis partners ...
Diversity programs, jury duty, criminal past.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Q What diversity groups are underserved, and how can we infuse some new life into our program? A Every program faces a loss of momentum after it has existed for some time. In a previous HR Solutions item in the October 2005 issue of HR Magazine, we discussed diversity as it ...
Meth madness: methamphetamine drug use is soaring throughout the country, to the detriment of users and employers. Here's what to do about it.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Merv Lopes was the ideal worker to handle the constant hum of life on the docks. The strength and agility gained from his years as a standout wide receiver at the University of Hawaii made him ideally suited for his $60.000-a-year job as a longshoreman, and he could work for hours without ...
Special needs: win employees' loyalty and productivity by helping them care for their disabled or chronically ill children.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Julie Katz adores her 12-year-old son Geoffrey, but she's candid about the myriad challenges of raising him. He has autism. The Arlington, Va., mother of two juggles his school schedule, doctors appointments and therapy sessions while she also leads a parental support group. ...
Words to recover by: lessons learned from the Gulf Coast can help you manage employee communications in the aftermath of the unthinkable.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Communications expert and "evacuee at large" Charles Pizzo was frustrated trying to respond to a reporter's questions over the phone. More than three weeks had passed since Hurricane Katrina had ripped through the Gulf Coast, and Pizzo, who had switched to a new cell phone in the Houston ...
'Autopilot' 401(k)s gain altitude: employees' 401(k) accounts can take off when employers make plan membership and portfolio management automatic.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Few people can outdo Lea Maokhamphiou in saving for retirement. She's 30 years old and works on a help desk, and she is socking away 13 percent of her $33,000 annual wages in her 401(k) plan. And although her husband has been unemployed for over a year and they're expecting their first ...
Crisis management in today's business environment: HR's strategic role.(2005 SHRM[R] Research Quarterly)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Abstract Today's business environment requires a robust, enterprise-wide plan to deal with unexpected crises. Company reputation and brand, as well as the trust and loyalty of stakeholders, are all critical factors in the background of crisis management. At the helm, HR leaders ...
Clear language/claro lenguaje: by delivering workplace training in the language employees understand best, you can improve their productivity, compliance and morale.(Training & Development)
Dec 01, 2005; ... At Heaviland Enterprises, a landscaping firm in San Diego, crew leaders, like most employees, speak Spanish as their native language. "English comprehension varies from individual to individual," says HR executive Leeann Storino, SPHR. Yet there's no language barrier when crew leaders are ...
On a mission: HR veteran Trummell Valdera is passionate about making the Jackson Health System best-in-class.(Profile)
Dec 01, 2005; ... I like challenges," says Trummell Valdera, SPHR, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at the Jackson Health System in Miami. And she found plenty of those when she came to Miami in January 2004 to help CEO Marvin O'Quinn "transition this health system to a world-class ...
Decompressing pay: pay compression can cause morale problems and hamper retention unless employers remain on guard.(Compensation & Benefits Agenda)
Dec 01, 2005; ... It all began with a racial discrimination complaint. About 30 employees in the grounds department of The Citadel accused the military college in August 2003 of not paying them fairly, recalls Patricia McArver, the school's vice president for communications. The problems stemmed ...
Merging HR systems: integrating HR technology systems during a merger or acquisition requires careful planning and an eye for detail.(HR Technology Agenda)
Dec 01, 2005; ... In his 10 years at Waterbury, Conn.-based Webster Bank, Chris Muller has seen at least a dozen direct acquisitions take the institution to about 3,400 employees in 170 locations, and assets of $17.5 billion. One acquisition in particular stands out: First Federal of Massachusetts ....
In the game: the virtual world offers a low-cost, low-risk learning environment for employees.(HR Technology)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Ralph Christenson is a veteran truck driver. He learned to drive his big rig the old-school way--out on the open road. "We used to put people on skids and slides in the parking lot. We simulated skidding in a real truck," says the 15-year employee of Schneider National Inc., the largest ...
Irrational secrets to innovation: tap your unconscious mind to free up creative solutions to complex problems.
Dec 01, 2005; ... Whether helping to lead a Fortune 500 company or a four-employee start-up with a suitcase of dreams, managers run into many walls of resistance from their employees. But it's actually the managers who build those walls by seeking safety in how things have always been done instead of ...
Statute of limitations waiver upheld.(Court Report)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Clark v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., Mich. Ct. App., No. 252765, Sept. 13, 2005. An employer may shorten the statute of limitations period for employment claims by including a provision in its employment application that states the applicant agrees to file all employment-related ...
Undocumented employees entitled to workers' comp.(Court Report)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Design Kitchen and Baths v. Lagos, Md. Ct. App., No. 82, Sept. 12, 2005. An undocumented worker injured on the job can collect benefits under the Maryland Workers' Compensation Act, even though he was not legally permitted to be performing the work that led to his injuries, the ...
Pay difference based on experience passes EPA muster.(Court Report)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Balmer v. HCA Inc., 6th Cir., Nos. 04-5688 and 04-6199, Sept. 14, 2005. A difference between a male and a female employee's pay that is based on experience is acceptable under the Equal Pay Act (EPA) despite the fact that both employees hold similar jobs, the 6th U.S. Circuit ...
Dangerous liaisons: romantic relationships between supervisors and subordinates can involve thorny legal and employee relations problems.(Legal Trends)
Dec 01, 2005; ... For workplace sexual conduct to constitute prohibited sexual harassment, it generally must be unwelcome. If it's welcome, the conduct still may be inappropriate for the workplace, but usually it's not unlawful. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nevertheless, the California ...
Diversity of issues abounds at conference: speakers, topics range from global to personal.(Inside SHRM)
Dec 01, 2005; ... The Society for Human Resource Management's 10th annual Workplace Diversity Conference and Exposition began with a panel discussion of corporate America's acceptance of diversity practices and ended with one man's story of accepting his own diverse heritage and self. ...
SHRM CFO sets record for service.(Inside SHRM)(Society for Human Resource Management )
Dec 01, 2005; ... If you ask Jerry Hay about his retirement after nearly 25 years as chief financial officer for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), he will chuckle and shake his head, saying, "Well. I never really planned to stay quite this long." Still, when Hay retires this ...
December.
Dec 01, 2005 ... 5-7 SHRM Academy, Strategy Domain, Miami. 5-7 SHRM HR Generalist Course, Phoenix. 5-7 SHRM Advanced HR Generalist, Phoenix. 5-7 SHRM Global Certification ...
Thinking for a Living.(Books in Brief)(Book Review)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Thinking for a Living By Thomas H. Davenport, Harvard Business School Press, 2005 226 pages, List price: $27.50, ISBN: 1-59139-423-6 Knowledge workers have high levels of expertise, education or experience, and their jobs involve creating, distributing or ...
The Disaster Recovery Handbook.(Books in Brief)(Book Review)
Dec 01, 2005; ... The Disaster Recovery Handbook By Michael Wallace and Lawrence Webber, AMACOM, 2004 398 pages, List price: $54, ISBN: 0-8144-7240-0 Do you know the routes that hazardous-materials carriers take through your company's region? Do you even know where to get ...
Vital Integrities.(Books in Brief)(Book Review)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Vital Integrities By George Brymer All Square, 2005 252 pages, List price: $24.95 ISBN: 13-978-0-9766335-9-4 George Brymer hopes readers of Vital Integrities will end their employees' wondering--about whether the boss is unethical or ...
Political Skill At Work.(Books in Brief)(Book Review)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Political Skill At Work By Gerald R. Ferris, Sherry L. Davidson and Pamela L. Perrewe [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Davies-Black Publishing, 2005 184 pages, List price: $32.95 ISBN: 0-89106-210-6 The word "politics" has a bad ...
Systems of Change Inc.(International HR)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... Systems of Change Inc. has launched a new automated orientation program designed to provide a cost-effective way for employees on international assignments to find useful information about their company and new country. The software is designed to orient employees to the local culture of ...
SilverPlume Inc.(Compensation And Benefits)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... SilverPlume Inc. has launched a new online benefits and HR management tool called Sage Benefits & HR for benefits brokers and HR practitioners. The new service is designed to be a comprehensive, subscription-based, online library and reference center that provides easy access to reliable ...
Fieldglass Inc.(Compensation And Benefits)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... Fieldglass Inc. has announced the release of InSite 4.1, a software package designed to manage the complex pay structures of businesses that employ large numbers of contract or contingent workers. The software also can help ...
On Air Video Inc.(Health and Safety)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... On Air Video Inc. has released "Desk Sets," a new fitness and health training DVD. The DVD features 10 short exercise routines (each approximately five minutes long) that can be performed right in the office using only office furniture, such as a desk chair or filing cabinet. The exercise ...
MindSolve Technologies Inc.(Performance Management)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... MindSolve Technologies Inc. has released a new performance management tool, MVP Express. MVP Express is designed for small to mid-size companies and combines performance appraisals, 360-degree feedback, goal alignment and ...
ICC Plan Solutions.(Retirement Benefits)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... ICC Plan Solutions has announced the debut of several upgrades and new features on its retirement benefits enrollment tool, 401k e-P.A.S.S. One of the new features allows employers or plan administrators to easily copy or "clone" ...
Deploy Solutions Inc.(Staffing)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... Deploy Solutions Inc. has launched C-Store Advantage, a recruiting and talent management tool designed for the convenience store industry. The new software is designed to help convenience store owners and managers cope with the tough challenges they face in hiring experienced and reliable ...
ERC Dataplus Inc.(Staffing)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... ERC Dataplus Inc. has launched two new hiring and recruitment software tools, Selectech 6.0 and Selectech Interviewer Training. Selectech 6.0 is a totally integrated applicant-tracking software designed to combine the recruiting and tracking systems for hourly and managerial positions into ...
AIRS Directory.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... AIRS Directory has added 12 new workshops to its current array of recruitment and hiring seminars. These new workshops span the complete cycle of recruiting and hiring new employees, and include resources and information that focus on strategic recruitment ...
The People with Disabilities Foundation.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... The People with Disabilities Foundation has released a two-part, 34-minute training video titled "Accommodating Employees and Job Applicants with Psychiatric Disabilities in the Workplace." The training video provides basic information for both employers and employees on managing and ...
Harris, Rothenberg International LLC.(Work/Life Benefits)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... Harris, Rothenberg International LLC has launched a new Internet portal to provide employers with access to information on resources and service providers for work/life benefits. The portal includes links and details on ...
Spinfish/ROG Inc.(Work/Life Benefits)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... Spinfish/ROG Inc. has introduced Beeliner Surveys, a web-based survey tool that is designed to help organizations get information on topics ranging from employee attitudes to customer satisfaction quickly and accurately. As a web-based program, there isn't any software to install or ...
Sage Software Inc.(Workplace Management)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005 ... Sage Software Inc. has released the newest version of its employee time and business expense tool, Sage TimeSheet 9.5. The software features a project management and budgeting module designed to help small to medium-sized businesses track project resources and costs and improve ...
Fuel economy.(Future Focus)
Dec 01, 2005; ... The use of telecommuting has not gained ground for the past three years, but recent rapid increases in fuel costs may cause employers to rethink their policies on letting employees reduce their commuting costs by working at home more often. About 19 percent of companies permit ...
Celebrating a rich past and an exciting future.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Anniversaries are a good time to reminisce, take stock and look ahead, and that's what we've tried to do in this special issue commemorating the 50th anniversary of HR Magazine. Of course there's value to looking back beyond just replaying memories or shaking our heads at how ...
50 for history.(reports of Human resource management )
Dec 01, 2005 ... Human resource management is an incredibly multidisciplinary endeavor, affected in ways large and small by social and political trends, economics, law, and advances in science and technology, not to mention employees' individual differences and flaws that make us all human. In ...
Ten changes that rocked HR: it's no wonder HR is expected to help manage change. Look at what it has been through.(human resource)
Dec 01, 2005; ... With Justice for All While there remains a long way for our society to go in terms of reducing racism and prejudice, we can just as certainly say that we've come a long way, baby, in the past 50 years. In 1955, the Civil Rights Act was still nine years from ...
How the law changed HR: five decades of social upheaval and lawmakers' response to it have stimulated radical change in the HR profession.(human resource)
Dec 01, 2005; ... Fifty years ago, most employers did not yet view human resource management as a core business function, and few aspiring executives viewed HR as a desirable career path. Things certainly have changed. Today, most organizations consider HR professionals indispensable to their ...