The simple economic realities of the 21st century offer employers a brief but extraordinary opportunity. BOLT’s Joanne Sanders and Lisa Scanlon were invited by the Santa Rosa Job Link to participate in a job fair on behalf of Brooks Automation employees. Brooks is relocating their cryogenic equipment manufacturing operations from Petaluma to Malaysia. As a… Read more »
Category: HR and Hiring Best Practices
The Half Full Side of Health Care, aka ACA
While tempers rise to the topic of health care and its associated costs, a refreshingly thoughtful piece about the upside of what the law offers employers appeared on Forbes.com recently. Jennifer Benz gives employers sound advice on how to use the law to enhance employees’ understanding and appreciation for the costs and benefits employers provide… Read more »
A New Tool, New Risks
Instagram is an online photo/video sharing and social networking service started in San Francisco in October 2010. Purchased by Facebook in April 2013 for approximately $1 Billion in cash and stock it is a testament to both the power of social networking and the wealth waiting to be tapped as our online lives continue to… Read more »
FMLA, etc. Addendum
The US District Court for the Southern District of New York recently ruled that an alleged wrong done to an employee after she had given birth was grounds to sue under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). The case involved circumstances that convinced the court were sufficient to support a claim under the Act. For more… Read more »
7 Warning Signs You're About to Lose Your Superstar
Are you noticing unusual behavior in a key employee? Are you getting seemingly random requests for time off? Is a normally casual dresser showing up wearing a tie? These, among other things might indicate someone is preparing to punch out permanently. Here’s a checklist, complete with caveats.
FMLA Developments, Part 2
Another instance of FMLA news this week is far more serious. The US Third Circuit Court of Appeals set aside the longstanding “mailbox rule” that posited properly directed mail that reached a post office or the hands of a letter carrier was sufficient to presume that the letter reached the person to whom it was… Read more »
FMLA Developments, Part 1
This week brought news regarding the Family Medical Leave Act. The first reports a Cornell University study of European leave policies that are generally more generous than the mandated, but unpaid, leave the federal government imposed on American employers years ago. One of the revelations uncovered by the prestigious institution is that longer leave and… Read more »
Social Media Sand Traps
For some time the explosion in the popularity of social media caught regulators and legislatures napping. However, the states are catching up and recent legislation is restricting what employers and other institutional authorities can demand of individuals regarding their personal email and social media accounts. It’s hard to imagine that employers in this litigious age… Read more »
When I Grow Up I Want to be…
The earlier post on Words referred to an article that linked to O*Net. O*Net is a fascinating tool no matter where you find yourself in your career. Whether you are looking to begin a career, in a job search, or in the hiring business, this is a tool worth exploring. For college students looking to… Read more »
What to Look for In the Job Application Process
Employers will be facing increasing challenges finding qualified candidates. As every baby boomer departs the workforce the number of qualified candidates shrinks not only as a result of the experience the old timers take with them, but also because of the sheer force of numbers. Some 78 million boomers were born between 1946 and 1964.… Read more »