Strategic Planning

Employers preparing for swine flu’s second wave

09/02/2009

The World Health Organization raised the swine flu alert to its highest level, saying the H1N1 virus has reached global pandemic levels. Your best HR defense is a good offensive plan to handle the logistical and employment law issues …

Ask the experts: How to be a true HR leader

08/31/2009

What does it take to jump the fence from your administrative role and be seen as a true leader in the company? The HR Specialist posed the following question to three of the leading HR thought leaders in America today: “What are the actions that a true HR leader takes to demonstrate leadership within an organization?” Their answers pointed to the following six actions:

9 keys: Convince top brass to support next year’s HR budget

08/31/2009

Ever had the C-Suite rubber-stamp your HR budget with nary a question or challenge? Neither has Valerie Grubb, a trainer, business coach and operations consultant. When budget time rolls around, she says, your most important job is explaining how HR contributes to the organization’s larger goals.

Unions on the doorstep: EFCA compromise gains momentum in Congress

08/18/2009

As Congress returns from its August recess, look for a renewed push to pass a compromise version of the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that’s been dubbed “the most sweeping pro-union legislation in the past 50 years.” The EFCA landscape is changing fast. Keep up with the latest by registering for our Aug. 27 webinar, Beyond EFCA: Preparing for the New Era of Union Organizing.

Preparing your workplace for a possible H1N1 flu pandemic

08/18/2009

This spring’s swine flu scare might have been just a warm-up act for a far more serious flu pandemic this fall. If you took steps to prepare your workplace for an outbreak in April, dust off those plans and check them against our list of things to do to make sure your organization keeps running in the coming months.

What plaintiff’s lawyers don’t want HR pros to know

08/11/2009

Want to know how to get under the skin of the lawyers who represent employees? Ask one. They won’t all cop to what sinks their cases, but attorney Whitney Warner did. Learn what she fears most when staring down an employer in court.

Recession revisited: Is it time for cautious optimism on pay?

08/07/2009

As hard as this recession has been on everyone, it has forced organizations to look at how to spend compensation budgets more efficiently and more effectively. What has shaken out is a new system of pay raises and bonuses that rewards employees for doing top-notch work rather than for simply showing up for work. Here are five lessons compensation pros have learned during these hard times:

HR & the recession: 7 trends, 7 solutions

08/04/2009

If you read only headlines, you may think U.S. employers are slashing employee benefits to the bone. Not so. But the weak economy is forcing organizations and their employees to make some tough choices, particularly in compensation and benefits. Here are seven key HR trends to look for, plus tips on how to respond.

Social media and HR: Managing the legal risks, updating your policies

07/14/2009

Whether they’re shooting off their own tweets or following others, employees using Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and personal blogs are creating liability and PR risks with their online rants, raves and company gossip. We’ve gathered the best of HR Specialist’s recent coverage of social media’s HR implications. You’ll find sound legal advice, and maybe a laugh or two.

10 keys to negotiating your HR budget

07/07/2009

Ever had the C-Suite rubber-stamp your HR budget with nary a question or challenge? Neither has Valerie Grubb, who spent most of her career building and justifying budgets in large manufacturing and entertainment companies, most recently NBC Universal. Here are her 10 tips for negotiating with those who make the final budget decisions.