Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Office Super Bowl

We start out here on this Wednesday night with an article from HR Daily Advisor with a question if Super Bowl pools are illegal gambling or teambuilding (or both): click here

What is your office doing about the big game? Are people passing around "squares" in your office. Ironically, these squares are going around at the same time as Girl Scout Cookies and many employees feel pressure to get involved in both. This is definitely something to monitor in your office...to a degree...

Also from HR Daily Advisor, an article following up on what not to do during EEO investigations...with 4 tips of what to do during investigations: click here

Next, from SecurityProNews, an article about how HR could be endangering the company...by opening up applications/resumes in e-mails: click here

CNNMoney and CareerBuilder are last with an article about the salaries HR Professionals are making...so you can measure yourself up against the competition: click here

Enjoy!

What I'm Hearing...401(k)s

Anyone who’s familiar with the magazine Time Out New York knows that they like to publish articles that push boundaries and get people talking. In issue 642, they published an article called “401ks are for suckers.”

The best part of the article is that I recognize the location on 10th Avenue where they took the picture. It’s right by our old office.

In short, the author hasn’t saved a penny for retirement because she’s “living life” and enjoying eating out. She plans on living off “the dole at 65, eating cat food out of a rusty hubcap.”

Why should the falsely maligned “Steady Eddies” have to support her – and the millions of people like her – because some people take no responsibility for themselves? I know that she is not the only person who hasn’t saved for retirement. America’s going to be facing a large retirement crisis very soon.

Read it for yourself here

Monday, January 28, 2008

Bonuses Down On Wall Street

You can tell the economy is really going poorly when Wall Street bonuses are down as reported by this CNNMoney article: click here

HR Daily Advisor has six killer mistakes for EEO Investigations: click here

And if you happen to live in Kentucky, you'll love this Business First article which details the best places to work in your state: click here

Sunday, January 27, 2008

A Plethora of Articles...

We have a plethora of articles for you to get you ready for your next week...

We start out with a Vault video on how employers are using social networking sites to snoop on employees: click here

Next, from USA Today, word that employers are paying more to relocate workers: click here

Next, from Fast Company, a look at the job outlook for 2008 and where all the top jobs will be: click here

Back to USA Today, word that small manufacturers are desperately seeking skilled staff: click here

Going back to an article we talked about a long ways back, MSNBC has word that the verdict of a woman spanked at work has been overturned: click here

Lastly, a blog entry about, of all things, Human Resources in the video game world of Second Life: click here

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

HR going Green

Catching you up on this Wednesday starts with the 2008 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Green Workplace report...

First, from Environmental Leader, word that the study shows that half of workplaces surveyed have a formal or informal environmental responsibility policy...but 43 percent do not and have no plans of implementing one in the next 12 months: click here

From the Washington Post, on the same report, says that environmentally friendly practices make for a happier workplace: click here

From HR.BLR, word the The Society for Human Resources Management is launching a campaigning to show the importance of HR: click here

Lastly, going back to the Washington Post, a study finds that most diversity training is ineffective: click here

Monday, January 21, 2008

Totally Unrelated...and then Related

On a totally unrelated not from out HR blog, we have this video for you from "Coming to America"...



And on a related note...from The Office...Toby Flenderson's HR Nightmares

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Diversity

The key buzzword is back again with this Q&A from the Boston Globe's BostonWorks Hiring Hub with three trends in corporate diversity: click here

Next, on to the New York Times where they say that for a franchise, success is in the hiring: click here

The New York Times also has some advice for how to lose your job on your own time: click here

One more from the New York Times talking about the role of life coaches: click here

We go to our new link-partner HR Daily Advisor who says that now your worst moments are on YouTube: click here

Lastly, we go to one of our fellow bloggers with an article about Human Resource Management: click here

Monday, January 14, 2008

Still Have the Dream

Despite the fact that a Black man is a leading candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination, racial harassment is a still an issue in workplaces according to MSNBC: click here.

As Clinton/Obama campaign starts to turn this battle into a race/gender issue, they may be alienating more constituents and potential voters than they think. With gender and race issues in the workplaces still a great cause of concern for many people, one can imagine some distaste for two candidates to battle each other on those grounds for the White House. The Democrats have done well in recent years building a base of minority and women voters but one wonders if some irreparable harm will be done to the candidates after the latest banter...but I digress...

In other news, also from MSNBC, a look at which businesses hold up well during a recession among other recession questions in this Q&A: click here

Lastly, a blog suggesting that you should hire people that are better than you are: click here

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Human Resources in Education

Education Week says that Human Resources of teachers is a weak spot that needs to be fixed: click here

Next, from HR Daily Advisor, word that quicker pay increases may save your best new hires: click here

Lastly from Reuters, continuing our previous theme, more information on how telecommuting can hurt office morale: click here

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Don't Make Work Your Primary

Although it may be Primary time, the New York Times starts us out by letting you know that making it's time to take a Secondary look at talking about your politics or wearing your campaign button at work, among other topics in this Q&A: click here

We go back to the New York Times for an old article still prescient about job growth fading fast: click here

The Business Review (Albany) has an article which says that telecommuting can hurt office morale: click here

From the Boston Globe's BostonWorks Ask The HR Expert we get some answers in this Q&A about Benefits and Compensation: click here

Next, from HR Daily Advisor, they post the question: Is coaching the new management? click here

Lastly, some HR Management news from Occupational Health and Safety has news that the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) President/CEO is about to retire: click here

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Small Biz HR

On our Two-for-Tuesday we do you one better her at Astron's blog...

First from the Wall Street Journal, a New Year and a new plan for small business HR: click here

Next, from the Washington Post, word that Lockheed Martin will have to pay $2.5 million in a racial discrimination case: click here

Lastly, from HR Daily Advisor, advice on why firing must be a group decision: click here

Monday, January 07, 2008

Primary Colors

We're in the middle of the presidential primaries...and we're lobbying you to make Astron Solution's Blog your primary source for HR news...

First, a report from the Society for Human Resources Management says that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is having HR issues of their own: click here

Next, from blog "McArthur's Rant", a New Year's Resolution for Human Resources: click here

From the Dallas Morning News, word that as the government cracks down on workplaces, ID theft has increased: click here

Moving on to the Republican American, we find an interesting story about when the head of HR doesn't get a performance review: click here

HR Daily Advisor gives five key steps to HR professionals to avoid termination-based lawsuits: click here

Lastly, Collaborative Thinking has a blog entry that says that socializing at work is no longer a waste of time: click here

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Smart? How Smart?

Not exactly the Get Smart motto, but our title, nonetheless...

We apologize for missing you yesterday but how is this for catching up?

From the New York Times, a simple question: How Smart Is Your Manager?: click here

Next, Human Resource Executive Online writes about employee engagement: click here

Also from Human Resources Executive Online, an article that CEOs are getting that talent management is important: click here

From the Arizona Republic, word that more companies are offering fitness benefits for employees: click here

CNN and Careerbuilder to team up on this list of six tips to managing workplace conflict: click here

Lastly, from Workforce Management, an answer to the question of what are HR Certifications worth: click here

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Happy New Year!

The Boston Globe starts us out on this first day of 2008 with an article about what's hot, what's not in the workplace for 2008: click here

Next, a Washington Post column suggesting that having employees make career resolutions can help them rise to the occasion: click here

Conde Nast Portfolio ends our blog today with an article about the risky business of hiring stars: click here