Strategic Planning

Your 2016 annual report: Link every HR initiative to financial impact

11/05/2013

Make sure your boss and your boss’s boss know exactly how valuable HR’s contributions were this year.

Two new California laws will cost employers in two ways

10/29/2013

California has two new laws affecting employers in the state. The first, signed into law in August, applies to employers that prevail in wage-related lawsuits. It limits their ability to obtain attorneys’ fee awards. The second, signed in September, raises California’s minimum wage to $10 per hour by January 2016.

GSA saves $24 million by reducing office space

10/28/2013

The U.S. General Services Administration is saving $24 million a year in real estate costs since it moved its 4,000 Washington, D.C.-based employees from three buildings to one.

Get ready! Older workers delaying retirement

10/25/2013

As much as 18% of the U.S. workforce could retire within the next five years, says a new study from ADP. That’s assuming the average retirement age is 61. But more workers are pushing retirement age past the traditional timeline. That presents HR pros with two big challenges.

Sometimes it’s best to settle drawn-out cases

09/10/2013

Some lawsuits seem to drag on forever, especially when an employee’s lawyers endlessly demand access to company documents. Settling those cases for a modest sum may be the best approach if litigation is taking over and HR is so busy responding to discovery requests it can’t get other work done.

This is NPR HR: 3 ways to rebuild & rebrand your culture

09/06/2013

Whether we represent a start-up or an organization that’s over 100 years old, HR professionals must stay aware of the ways in which their organization’s culture is changing, says Jeff Perkins, Chief People Officer, National Public Radio.

Diversity: It’s not just an HR function anymore

08/26/2013

Organization-wide diversity can’t just be the diversity professional’s job or the HR manager’s responsibility. It requires true partnership and participation across functional areas to align efforts that support a shared vision for diversity and inclusion.

Can we ask employees about retirement intentions?

08/19/2013

Q. Is it OK to ask members of our management team what their tentative retirement plans are so we can focus on having enough trained people ready to step up when vacancies occur?

U.S. Supreme Court rules on DOMA, California’s Prop 8

07/23/2013

The U.S. Supreme Court in June issued two highly anticipated decisions addressing same-sex marriage in cases that resonated nationwide and in California. The cases are significant for employers because they are likely to have ripple effects on state, federal and local laws, in particular those dealing with employee benefit plans, taxation and immigration.

National origin, language & religion: Legally managing diversity at work

07/17/2013

To achieve compliance and prevent successful discrimination claims (which could involve class-action exposure), employers must be attuned to workplace issues around national origin, religion and race. For most employers, this means training management and HR personnel to carefully consider their policy-making and daily decisions that can affect such issues.