Just Another Manic Monday

If you wish it was Sunday, because that's your Funday, then we have some articles from yesterday for you...

From the Washington Post, students demanding better wages organize a sit-in. If you work in a University or College in the United States, remember that college students unhappy with wages can be a very lethal force: click here

Speaking of school...it's about that time of year when some adults go back to school, and it could be a nice holiday present to get yourself according to this New York Times article: click here

And lastly, also from the New York Times, an article about how a family with someone out of work takes on daycare by themselves: click here

It's Friday!!!

Friday articles for the HR Professional before the weekend:

First, from the Roanoke Times, an article about a group of unsung heroes who are experiencing high turnover rates: click here

From the New York Times, an article about the rebirth of Venture Capitalism and what that means for the job market: click here

And lastly, from the Washington Post, a very important article about how retiree's health care may overwhelm the United States' government...a very big issue for HR professionals to consider with a new generation of retirement packages being set up: click here

To those celebrating, a Happy New Year (L'Shana Tova) and a good fast for Ramadan...and to those not celebrating, celebrate it's the weekend :)

Ask And Ye Shall Receive

Supposedly this is not an easy thing for some workers in the workplace which has a two-pronged effect: it could be very good for employers because they don't have to give extra benefits to employees because they won't ask for it, but it may lead to silently disliking their jobs. The New York Post explores: click here

From the New York Times, new strategies for police recruiters in New York to get the number of NYPD boosted...an interesting case study for HR professionals to ponder: click here

And lastly, from CBSNews, an article about labor unions trying to heal their differences after a bitter divorce: click here

Image Isn't Everything

Let's get right into the aritcles on this hump day as we wind down September...

First from Amy Joyce and the Washington Post which says that kid-friendly policies don't help singles...something to think about before instituting those policies: click here

Next, from the New York Times, an article about image help...but not only for the famous...maybe you need your own publicist: click here

And lastly, from MSNBC and Reuters, a study that shows that gay-friendly businesses are on the rise, a good way to boost a company's image to potential clients: click here

New York, New York

Today is going to be a New York day...it has to be. The Mets clinched their first division in 18 years last night, the Yankees reduced their magic number to 3, the Giants came back to win a huge game this weekend, and we have two big articles from the New York Times for you on this Two for Tuesday:

Sometimes you have to be cautious with certain employees and how you treat them...

The first group is cancer survivors who after surviving cancer face the next big task of going back to find a job: click here

Another group are people who have spent time in jail and go back and look for work...not an easy task as shown by this article: click here

Doubling Up

We apologize for missing you this past Friday...but we're making up for it with 5 articles on this Monday morning.

First, from the New York Times, an interesting article about a website in New York City that feeds workers tied to their desk all day: click here

Next, the Portland Business Journal reports that a recent survey shows that it pays most for you to work in San Francisco...the real San Francisco treat! click here

An interesting article from a very odd source about Human Resource Management and the law and how they interact on a daily basis, especially in today's world: click here

Next from the Washington Post, an article about the firms vying to be the in charge of the US border security. Although this comes with a lot of political charge, it also comes with a lot of human resources issues as one company wants to patrol with drones, while another wants humans on the ground...an interesting dilemma to play out: click here

And lastly, going back to the NYT, and continuing with a blog theme over the past couple of months, an article that say that some bosses see the virtues of a long vacation...do you feel the same in your company? click here

Hope that catches you up on the HR news of the weekend!

Jobs, Jobs and more Jobs

It's almost Friday but that doesn't mean we're slowing down at Astron Solutions:

Certain cities in New Jersey are being hurt by the lack of jobs, though some are better off now than they were in the past: click here

Bizjournals.com says that laid-off workers this year are back in action faster...a good sign for the United States economy. It's not always about a flat unemployment number, but how long people stay unemployed. It also is important for employers to know that even though a candidate is unemployed, they may not be for long, so act fast: click here

And to end the posts, a recent survey has shown that multinationals are going towards a centralized compensation system...we talked in the past about how this could backfire due to cross-cultural boundaries, but the survey proves that many are moving towards that structure: click here

Getting Over the Hump

The Mets and Yankees seem to be heading to the playoffs, the kids are heading back to school, and Astron Solutions is heading to the vault to find you some great HR articles!

First from Amy Joyce of the Washington Post talks about people who have been fired in really poor ways (including by e-mail)...definitely a cautionary tale for employers who are looking to save a PR nightmare: click here

From Careerbuilder.com, advice for small businesses takes on the mythbuster role as they bust the top 10 myths of recruiting: click here

And lastly, continuing a theme from the summer, it is not just workers taking less vacation time, but now managers who don't want to be forgotten about once promotion time comes: click here

Moving On

If Septemeber 11th is the day we remember, September 12th is the day we learned how we would move on and live in our new world. The debate of whether we're better off now than we were 5 years ago will rage on for a long time, but the fact is that our lives have certainly changed...how we move on in our new world is the greatest measure of how strong we are...(Just a little food for thought...)

On to our two for Tuesdays (on an Astronology day no less):

One from the New York Times jobs section which talks about employers who are going to new names and educating their workforce about what that brand should mean to them...and how this will help to attract potential employees: click here

The next is a Q&A from Yahoo Finance about how to save enough to retire on...good for both employees and employers to take into account with aging baby boomers and shrinking social security: click here

Happy Astronology Day!

Remembering 9/11

Five years after the fact, we look back at the events of September 11th and how they still effect our lives:

From the New York Times job section, an article about how our lives have changed in the last 1,825 days since that awful morning: click here

The other part of the country effected by the damage, Washington DC, reflects via the Washington Post: click here

While not mentioned in this article, Ground Zero has become a health hazard for workers. This article points out other black lung "hot spots" including those in West Virginia: click here

Monday is a tough day, but we know that this one is tougher than all the others...

Best of Both Worlds

We go domestic and abroad on this Friday morning for some great HR articles.

From China, Mercer has just published a study which says that companies in China are having employee retention problems, definitely an issue since many companies are highly divested in China, and those that were thinking of doing so are now looking elsewhere as the prices begin to even out. It brings up an interesting HR problem...how to make HR programs cross-culturally valid: click here

Forced with low recruitment numbers, the army has gone to private pitches to get recruits. Some think no HR pitch will help the army (as long as signing up probably means going to Iraq, the recruitment numbers will be pretty low), but maybe a change in approach will help the army in its recruitment efforts: click here

Lastly, clearing out an old article (which is still quite relevent), we blog about a blog on Ken Lay's death in which Monster.com takes a closer look on ethics. This is such an important issue for HR and the companies leadership to continue to tackle because the problem hasn't totally gone away: click here

Where Does It All Come From?

An interesting article on one "expert's" view on the history of Human Resource Management: click here

This Washington Post columnist thinks that the best way to tackle inequality is not through wages, but through tax reform: click here

And lastly, from the New York Times, an article about how some people are getting their start in show business...with a little help from NYC: click here

Get excited for Friday!!!

Your Life Is Worse...But You're MORE Content?

This interesting paradox was scratched at its surface in yesterday's blog and we'll go into it again today with interesting research from the Pew Research Center (thanks to a loyal reader for this submission): click here

This graphic is a very interesting one for HR Professionals to review:















In other news, one reason why workers may be more content is that sexual harassment claims are down from their record level in 1997 according to the US Equal Opportunity Commission: click here

And on a different topic, an interesting pay plan by Dana Corporation is ruled illegal...read here why: click here

It's Tuesday So That Must Mean We're Playing Two

Two for Tuesdays continue with two interesting articles from two very different sources.

The first is from the Washington Post is an interesting development as the most overworked are winning in today's economy: click here

For an economics student such as myself this is really a dilemma because it contradicts (or becomes a paradox...whichever way you want to look at it) all that we learn. As the article says:

"For years, economists have taught their students a simple maxim: As employers hunt for workers, they want to get the best talent at the lowest price. According to this theory, whether employees want to work long hours or short hours, employers have an incentive to accommodate them, because asking people to do something they don't want to do raises the price of labor -- workers demand more compensation."

There's an old proverb about helping a man get a job being the best charity you can give someone and the Marin Independent Journal has an interesting story about how some are doing that: click here

It's Labor Day but We're Still Laboring Away

Just because it's Labor Day does not mean the blog has to take a day off...actually, we feel it is our duty to post today:

Well this Washington Post headline will disagree with me as they ask do we really have to talk about work on labor day: click here

Another Washington Post article disagrees as Amy Joyce looks into a bunch of surveys recently released that delve into employees complaints: click here

And lastly, from Reuters, a study that shows cutting staff incentives hurts the company on the bottom line...something definitely to keep in mind on this labor day: click here

It's the Weekend!

But before you enjoy some of the last sun of the summer of '06, check out these great HR articles:

Horizon Magazine gives the advice in this article that it helps HR Managers to help their employees fit in within the work environment: click here

And from overseas:

Forbes is seeing China's turnover rise as the price of retention of employees is going up: click here

And lastly, an interesting article from Vietnam that says that schools should join hands with companies in promoting and furthering educational opportunities: click here

Have a great weekend!

And you can not deal with pressure...

According to the Washington Post, the pressure is going up in the cabins of Northwest Airlines as yet another airline is moving towards cutting jobs...an interesting non-strike idea is proposed there...one that, while may be considered less than a strike, and may never materialize, is an interesting one in today's economy, especially in the airlines: click here

Next from MarketWatch, a study from Careerbuilder.com that says that while most managers expect people to negotiate on salary, most candidates rarely do: click here

And one person's definition of what a "Cohert Human Resources Strategy" sounds like...is it anything like yours? click here

Wages, Wages, and More Wages

First an article form the New York Times that say that real wages are failing to meet a rise in productivity. With higher living costs and energy costs, this could become a huge problem in the US: click here

Next from the Washington Post an article about how women in top positions are pulling up the wages for all other women...an interesting half-dilemma: to have more women making less or for a few women to become pinacles of the industry...no reason there can't be the elimination of both many say: click here

And, as reported on MSNBC, a Forbes article about the 25 most generous companies: click here

Enjoy!

Two for Tuesday

Two HR articles from the New York Times to get you going this morning...

First advice you can give young workers about how to recover after screwing up a big presentation in front of the boss...good advice for all: click here

And a look at the unemployed who can't turn to their familes for help are now turning to each other: click here

Enjoy!

We're back...

...And better than ever. After a brief hiatus, the Astron Solutions blog is back.

Here are some great human resource articles to get you going on your Monday morning:

Can your employees interact very well with their computers but have no clue what to do when they have to interact with real people? Amy Joyce talks about a class that may help that out in the Washington Post: click here

Also from the Washington Post, some career tips that you may want to follow to get ahead in today's tough job market: click here

The best advice I ever received is mentioned in this article. When I asked my boss why he would wear a suit even though he didn't have to he said: "You dress for the job you want, not the one you have." Great advice.

Lastly, an interesting article from the United States about Africa and why they don't train more nurses with such a nurse shortage: click here

All Good Things Must Come to an End

As the summer winds down, we have a cornucopia of articles for the HR Professional

First comes from the New York Times and talks about resignation letters. They suggest not doing a Jerry Maguire, "Who's coming with me?"-type exit and talks about what should be in the resignation letter: click here

Next, from the Washington Post, an article which says that more time off can justify taking a lower salary for some workers: click here

From Reuters, a study by Mercer showed that Director pay growth slowed last year...but larger companies still pay more: click here

And lastly, from Monster.com, an article that techie's have a new job qualification in today's world...working well with others. No longer will Jimmy Fallon's SNL character Nick Burns survive in today's job market: click here

This will be my last blog of the summer...hope you enjoyed all the HR news...look for more exciting things to come on the Astron Solutions blog and subsequent issues of Astronology. This is Andrew Katz signing off. Good night, and good luck.

From Wall Street to India

Welcome to another week of Astron Solutions' blog...

First up, from the New York Times, an interesting article about Wall Street Women who face a fork in the road. On one side is a highly demanding career which has been dominated by men and on the other side is raising a family...a tough choice for many women. Also tough is business school and an interesting graphic below provides more details on that: click here


From the Washington Post, an article on the same lines that say that women are greatly underrepresented in top corporate leadership positions. The number of 16.4% of corporate leadership positions is a little scary for women who strive for the top positions in their organizations: click here

Also from the New York Times, an article about a potential pension overhaul that Congress never got passed due to too many escape clauses and problems with the bill: click here

And from SiliconIndia, an interesting article on the strategic role of Human Resources Management: click here

TGIF

It's another Summer Friday and whle the temperatures are supposed to be cooling down across the country, we're just heating up...

From the New York Times (click here) and the Washington Post (click here) news of the Wage/Estate Tax bill being blocked in the Senate. This is going to be a hot-button issue for the upcoming midterm elections and you should prepare, as a Human Resource professional for the possibility an increase may come soon after.

Next an article from Yahoo! Finance on how commuting is a drag on the economy. If you take public transportation, you probably noticed a recent spike in the number of people using it with you. With energy prices conitnually rising, this is a trend bound to continue for some time: click here

And lastly, advice from Monster.com to get more training. Is this something a potential applicant should do before applying or is this something that employers should provide for its employees? That's where the big divide lies: click here

Enjoy and stay cool this weekend :)

Hitting the Job Market

Want to position yourself for a great chance at getting a job? Well Astron Solutions has some advice for you on this Thursday...

From the Washington Post, we have Top Tips From the Hiring Squad, where career experts share proven approaches for applying to, interviewing for, landing and getting the most out of a new job: click here

One way you can position yourself is as a middle manager which the Dallas Morning News claims are being highly sought: click here

Next, 5 strategies from Monster.com of what to do when moving without a job: click here

Lastly, back to the Washington Post, we look at the labor gap that exists in the auto market between a few of the big car makers and the United Auto Workers union: click here

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

And so does Astron Solutions on this Wednesday for its blog articles...

The first is the issue which could be one of the biggest ones for Republican incumbents in the upcoming election: minimum wage. One of the issues being debated in this is the issue of tips as described in this Washington Post article: click here

Now I think that a lot of the real reason this issue has become a big issue is misunderstood. It's not merely the fact that minimum wage hasn't changed in about a decade, but it's more the fact--as the graph below from the Economic Policy Institute shows--that the real value of the minimum wage has dropped over a dollar since the last hike.



That's a big problem, especially with rising gas prices, rising consumer costs, and growing inflation.

One place this issue should be addressed is in the Labor Dept.: click here

Stephen Barr believes that the Office of Personnel Management should recruit more Hispanics: click here

And one issued tied closely to that and the minimum wage and immigration and every hot-button issue of 2006 in the job market are Household Employees and according to this article, they're fighting for their own Bill of Rights: click here

The Heat Is On

It's going to be 100 degrees here in the North East and the pennant races are heating up after the trade deadline, but we're just getting warmed up on Astronology day here at Astron Solutions.

Word from the Washington Post that FOX has agreed to settle their sexual harassment lawsuit in New York: click here

If you want to know more about the EEOC or the new EEO-1 guidelines (including what the heck those abbreviations mean), go to our website and check out the Astronology for the week.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer, an article about some who fear that employees who receive medical help at work will lose some of the privacy afforded to them: click here

The article includes this interesting graphic:













And lastly, from the Sydney Morning Herald, an interesting article from Australia about who Human Resources Professionals owe their allegience to: the company or the staff? The article says the company...let us know if you disagree: click here

Keep cool

It's Just Another Manic Monday...

Don't you wish it were Sunday?

Back to another full work week (and a probable heat wave in the Northeast)...but we have some articles to lighten the edge:

It's a New York Monday...and we just don't say that because of the new slugger in the Yankees rightfield...but because we have three articles for you from the New York Times:

It ends up that many men who are unemployed are valuing their free time more than going back into the workforce, something employers definitely have to consider when offering jobs to people who have been unemployed for a while: click here

Want to know what that degree you have is worth to your employer? Want to know, as an employer, how much you should value that degree, well NYT has the answer: click here

And, lastly, word that workers at Wal-Mart in China have formed their first trade union. The good news for Wal-Mart is that these unions typically side with management: click here

Everybody's Workin' For The Weekend

Happy Friday!

First on our agenda is a report from the Washington Post about the upcoming House vote on the increase in the minimum wage. This is a huge issue for an election year and it shows in how people are deciding to vote: click here

On that same note, from USA Today, an article saying that Asian nations should considering shortening the work week and raising overtime pay: click here

And also from USA Today, and a reference to our last Astronology, an article about the CEO of Sun Microsystems who seeks competitive advantage through blogging: click here

Love and Memories

Office Romances can be good and bad. When they’re good, they can make for a very pleasant office environment. But when they go sour, they can lead to lack of productivity, jealousy, uncomfortable situations and a poor work environment.

Here are some articles talking about the issue:

From the Chicago Tribune, an article about when cupid comes to the office says to be very careful of bad situations which can cause feelings of unfairness and jealousy or lead to firing due to 25% of companies having bans against office romances: click here

From the Journal Times in Wisconsin, an article asking “Do you dare?”. Using the Jim and Pam example from “The Office”, this article delves into the world of office romances. A telling stat is that 31% of workers surveyed think that office romances are OK, while 37% think that if they happen, they should be kept secret: click here

From China Daily, which says that in Bejing people are finding their marriage partners by looking in the workplace instead of going out to find the dating scene. The watercooler is the new meetmarket: click here

And lastly, from Reuters, an odd-but-true story from New Zealand about a cross-dressing lawyer who skirts (no pun intended) the dress code: click here

Unique Ways To Get Ahead

Humpday celebration...

From SHRM, a report that August will continue the expanding of the job market: click here

Some of those workers, such as the ones at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, are trying to get ahead in the service industry with old-fashioned good manners, according to the Washington Post: click here

And, lasty, a New York Times article about Peggy Fowler, the President and Chief Executive of Portland General Electric, who says, among other things, that she was powered by math: click here

As I Walk Away...

Three articles for your Tuesday about people leaving the office:

First from the New York Times' Career Couch which questions, among other things, whether it's all right to call in sick even if you're not sick: click here

Next from the Washington Post which claims that more men are leaving the newsroom as their positions as anchors and reporters are being taken over by women: click here

And lastly, from the New York Times, an article from Chairman and Chief Executive of Citizen's Financial Group, Lawrence K. Fish, about learning by leaving and his experiences leaving the country: click here

Let's Talk About It

Hope everyone had a great weekend...now three articles about talking at work...

The first is from Randstad (via WorldAtWork) and talks about how loud talkers are among the worst pet peeves in the workplace, followed by cell phones ringing and use of speakerphones in public places...a lot of talking peeves at the office: click here

From SHRM, an article that says that water cooler talk helps co-workers bond...I guess talking about Jack Bauer's latest adventure or the Yankee's play during the weekend helps office unity: click here

And lastly, an article from Delware online which tells workers to hone their communication skills in order to not sound uncooth in the workplace: click here

Benefitting from Benefits

It's Friday!

Four articles for you about health benefits to get you into/through your weekend:

The first is from 1010 Wins in New York and has the Transit Union suing the MTA for unfair health benefits which give fully covered Viagra for men and no pay for contraceptives for women: click here

An article from the Orlando Sentinal about a technician who may be due past OT pay. If you look further down the article, you'll see an update on health benefits: click here

A column in the Washington Post talking about small companies who provide their employees big benefits. If you're a small company, wellness benefits as well as good health care options are still available even though you think these resources may not be available to you: click here

And lastly an article from Forbes about a Judge overturning the so called "Wal-Mart Health Care Law": click here

I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke

These famous words were from a Coca-Cola revolutionary television commercial (which also spawned a #1 single) which showed men and women from all different culutures singing in harmony and drinking Coke together.

One of the leading advocates of Affirmative Action, the legislation that helped create this as the norm in the workplace, was John G. Feild and he died this past weekend. A leading influence in the civil rights views of president John F. Kennedy, Feild served as the executive director of the President's Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity during the Kennedy administration. His enforcement of these ideals, especially within the government, helped the EEOC become what it is today: click here

In today's world, many ethnic youths looking for jobs in an increasingly tight job market are looking online, according to this Washington Post report: click here

And speaking of online searches (and following up on the Astronology of the week), the Attorney General of Kansas says in the Kansas City Star that his state needs to step up background checks and do better screenings for employees: click here

The Rich Get Richer...

Hope everyone got through the storms last night. The Yankees certainly did with Melky leading them to a walk-off homerun. We here at Astron are heading to the afternoon game to root on the Yankees sweep. But while you stay in your office, you can read these two Washington Post articles on the rich getting richer (and we're not talking about Major League Baseball's best-paid bench player ever, Alex Rodriguez)...

First an article about how the well-paid, especially in the D.C. area, benefit the most when the economy is good: click here

And second an article about how 2005 was a banner year for corporate executives who raked in huge compensation deals: click here

Enjoy the articles and let's go Yanks!

Hot In The City, Hot In The City Tonight

A little Billy Idol for your Tuesday as temperatures push the triple digits...

Preparing you for the Astronology release (blogging about blogging...quite unique)...

An audio link (podcast for those of you who are tech savvy)! Resume Lies and the Liars Who Write Them With the Radio Shack CEO in the news for lying on his resume, Susie and Barb think the time is right to address this baffling topic. Why don’t companies do background checks? The office grapevine has no problem discovering the indiscretions of a new hire, so what is wrong with Human Resources making a few phone calls? Many famous examples are discussed, with FEMA’s Michael Brown at the top of the list:

powered by ODEO

And from the Colorado Springs Business Journal (Colorado Springs, CO) from July 14, 2006, this article below from Joan Johnson:

Social technology, blogging, is a networking tool that can provide job seekers with a powerful option in their hunt for employment, but if misused, sites such as MySpace.com and Facebook can ruin a career. Employers can search blogs during background checks and human resources departments can use the information they find as they please -- identifying biases or any other reason not to hire a potential applicant. "I have MySpace, but it is all business," said Julie Kistler, owner of UrbanEmbers.com and Six Sigma Marketing. "I don't put anything personal on it.

" Used appropriately though, networking on the Net can be invaluable. Networking often yields better results during job searches than online job banks. According to a study by CareerXroads, 27 percent of external hires were found through employee referrals. Second on the list, at 24.7 percent, was the Internet, which in the survey referred to the use of online job boards and corporate Web sites. "Seventy to 80 percent of jobs are not posted," Kistler said. She said people are constantly being referred to her. One referral was in search of freelancing jobs. Kistler sent the woman's resume to about 40 people and within a day, she had received five responses. This only works, though, if you have competent contacts, Kistler said. According to Nielsen NetRatings, social networking grew 47 percent during the last year. Facebook, a site for college students and recent graduates, contains nearly 5 million profiles. Friendster has more than 27 million profiles, photos and blogs. MySpace.com has more than 78 million members, counting multiple profiles from one source, according to Nielsen Ratings. Each visitor spends, on average, more than two hours browsing the site. Kistler said she is working on a site that is similar to MySpace, but for local business owners. LinkedIn.com allows users to see other people's contacts but not their contact information, so you have to get a friend to introduce you if you find someone who has similar interests. Plaxo allows people to create a business card and it automatically updates a user's Outlook when someone makes a card. Ryze and LinkedIn are business networking sites that ask for résumé information such as current and past companies, education and areas of interest. This allows a person to find others with similar information, as well as job postings with similar information. In addition to using social networking sites as a way to find potential employees, companies often use the sites to market themselves. One example is Sheraton hotels, which is inviting travelers to share trip photos, tips, commentary and videos at Sheraton.com. The Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce has a large networking database. Members can choose to be listed in more than 500 categories. With a user name and password, businesses can get a referral report that shows how many people are visiting the Web site, calling the 800 number and stopping by the front desk at the chamber to get information about their businesses. Sara Muirheid, the chamber's vice president of marketing, said the site will be redesigned in September to make it easier to search and link to the directory. Another networking technique that the chamber uses, Muirheid said, is Business After Hours. The social events average about 300 attendees and provide a low-tech approach for businesses to connect with other businesses. Kistler said she still attends face-to-face networking groups, but always asks for an e-mail address instead of a phone number. "I can remember everyone I've met by name and title," she said, "not face. "

Keepin' it cool

The heat wave has set in, but we're keeping it cool with HR news from Astron getting you ready for Astronology tomorrow:

From the Sunday Washington Post, Amy Joyce discusses the problems faced by employees when two bosses butt heads: click here

From Canoe's Lifewise Work, comes an article about always having a Plan B in your professional life, something that HR professionals certainly need to look out for when hiring an employee (asking "what's your ultimate goal?" or "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" can be a very telling sign): click here

On a related note, from HR BLR, retention of employees was the biggest concern among surveyed HR professionals: click here

And from Monster.com, the Worst Summer Job Contest...see if you can win: click here

Oh it's a hot one

Getting ready for the heat wave?

A bevy of different articles for your Friday (getting you ready for Tuesday's Astronology)...

From the Washington Post today, it seems that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) got more than they asked for. Although they were budgeted the same amount as last year, it was over the request from the Bush administration and brought cheers from EEOC advocates: click here

Lily Garcia poses (also in the Washington Post) this question: "Why can't a salaried person working for a private company get overtime? Is there a way around this?": click here

And last comes from the Shreveport Times comes an article that says that people looking for work in the Shreveport area worry about rising healthcare costs, finding a proper work-life balance, and the vulnerability of their workplace technology to corruption or breakdown. The Society of Human Resource Management's (SHRM) latest workplace forecast listed those three issues among their top 10 trends that concern human resource professionals across the country: click here

Interesting Labor News

Two interesting pieces of news on a Thursday:

First from Proskauer Rose LLP, an Immigration Alert which says that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated the number of H-1B Advanced Degree visas available for Fiscal Year 2007: click here

And from the InhouseBlog, for those out-of-state companies doing business in California, the top 10 things to know about the labor laws (including the lack of the "use it or lose it" policy on vacation time): click here

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." -- Thomas Edison

Happy Almost Friday!

3 Interesting Ways to Find a Job...

Happy Humpday!

On this Wednesday (the last day of the All-Star break before the Yankees and Red Sox players start disliking each other once again), we have 3 articles about interesting ways to find a job...

Maybe the most interesting of all is from workforce.com which has an article about an innovative recruiting and development program--candidates are hired via an NFL-style draft--which helps National Oilwell Varco (a Houston-based oil company) build its next generation of leaders: click here

The next is from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) about the study in March which showed that 1 in 4 employees look for a new job while at work (it's not just employees checking their e-mails anymore): click here

Remember those career assessment tests that told you what you were going to do in life? Well they're more important in determining your future career path than you may think according to the Washington Post: click here

By the time you've finished reading this, you're probably over the Wednesday hump!

Look up, look down, all around...

Oh how the power of a headline can influence the way one thinks about an article. In journalism terms it may be thought of as spin, but you can interpret this as you would like...

Mind you, this is all reporting on the same published report:

From the New York Times, "Jobs Date Indicates Economy is Slowing"...OK, well that would suggest that things are bad, right? Not necessarily: click here

From the Washington Post, "U.S. Payrolls Up Slightly; Jobless Rate Still 4.6%"...OK, well that would suggest that the amount of people with jobs is the same, but they're making more money? Not necessarily: click here

From BBC News (sent in by a loyal reader of our blog, Jessica Goldings), "U.S. Jobs Growth Mild As Wages Rise"...OK, so now there are more jobs AND higher wages? Not necessarily: click here

Three factors that should be taken into account here:

1. The reason these results are viewed as "bad" are because Wall Street economists predicted higher results. This is coupled with the fact that consumer prices (especially gas prices) are rising. This sent the stock market down and raised fears of inflation. In fact, the Fed had predicted that job growth would not be as large as predicted.
2. Average wages rose to $16.80/hour which added to the best wage growth in 5 years (which, for those math challeneged, is pre-9/11 numbers)
3. There should be more workers in June due to seasonal workers, students finding employement/internships during school breaks, and recent graduates entering the workforce. This would, in theory, lower wages due to more workers in the workforce, so a rise in wages should be seen as a positive in this light.

Another lesson to not always believe what the headlines tell you...

If you find good articles you would like to submit for use on our blog, please send them to askatz@astronsolutions.com

A Monday In New York

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Last week was a short week, but we're strapping in for the long-haul today with a slew of informative articles. And you'll have plenty of time to read them with the World Cup over (congrats to Italy) and Major League Baseball in its All-Star Break.

All of them come from today's amNY but unfortunately, the website does not have the same articles as the printed version, and so you'll get them from a variety of sources. (If you would like to see them in the print version, click here and go to pages 29 and 30).

From amNY, 1/5 workers admit stealing from their office but that number is much higher. Whether taking tape to wrap holiday presents or taking school supplies for their kids, many workers steal from the place they work--many without really feeling all that bad about it: click here

From the Washington Post, we see that Americans are more satisfied with their jobs now than they were 30 years ago despite working harder and longer hours, greater pressure, and less performance pay among other things: click here

From the Chicago Tribune, an article about people bring their dogs to work. Although it would seem to be a nice idea, wouldn't barking get in the way of that conference call? Wouldn't it be a problem for that business meeting if your dog decided to poop or take a whiz on your shoes? In theory it sounds nice, but it ends up, according to this article, it's much more than theory for some companies: click here

And lastly, an article about people choosing to work nights and weekends to be with their kids more. It's not just a time slot for police, firefighters and medical workers anymore...: click here

I think that's enough to get you through your Monday...see you again tomorrow morning.

It's Friday...and I'm In Love

Figuring an 80's song is a good way to go out on a July 4th-shortened week...

An article previewing our next Astronology focuses on the rise of background checks and pre-screening done by employers from SHRM: click here

An article from early June about the new Presidential directive which requires security clearance (more background checks) on all people working on federal facilities: click here

And, since we missed a day with a holiday, an extra link for this Friday...maybe employees should pre-screen their employers as well and all they need to do for a background check is read these tell-all books according to Reuters: click here

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

What drives college grads' job choice?

Workers of the Office, Unite

Hope you had a good July 4th. We're back after a day off with three articles...

From the SHRM Conference, Rebecca R. Hastings writes about Jonathan A. Segal's presentation about the Yellow Zones of Sexual Harassment: click here. Included in this article are some acts that are not illegal but inappropriate behaviors that HR Managers may want to include in their Sexual Harassment Policy and the 6 R's of avoiding Sexual Harassment:

• Refrain from inappropriate behavior. This includes all types of harassment and is broader than just illegal behavior.

• Report all complaints to human resources even if the employee requests that nothing be done. He suggested that managers give employees three choices: you can go, I can go or we can go.

• Respond proactively to inappropriate behavior, such as comments or jokes, even in the absence of a complaint. Lead by example.

• Remedy inappropriate behavior with counseling, discipline and/or termination.

• Refrain from unlawful retaliation against complainants and witnesses.

The bottom line for Segal, which he described as a “sixth R,” is respect.

But if Sexual Harassment does occur, the New York Times says that an office coup is not an advisable way to handle it (click here) and SHRM reports that most workers say that would not even report the misconduct: click here

Somebody's Got a Case of the Mondays

On this holiday-but-not-really-a-holiday Monday, Astron Solutions is still hard at work to bring you the biggest and best HR news out there. Hope everyone had a fun weekend and those who are still on their weekend, we are jealous.

According to the Houston Chronicle, today is going to be a very lonely work day (an "orphan" workday as they call it): click here

And from the Washington Post's Sunday "Life At Work" section, an article by Amy Joyce with advice for recent college graduates to accept help from other people in the workplace (and for others in the workplace, including HR people, to offer it): click here

We'll be off tomorrow for July 4th. Happy Independence Day to everyone!

Happy July 4th Weekend!

On this Friday before a holiday weekend we jump right into the pool (pun intended) with vacation and travel...

In January we posted on the blog (click here) that Expedia.com found out that Americans left over 421 million vacation days unused in 2005. That number from Expedia.com is expected to go up over 36% in 2006 to 574 million. In this article from Amy Joyce of the Washington Post, the topic is delved into even further: click here

Other interesting facts from the article:

• One in four workers plans to work while on vacation this year (according to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey).
• The number of vacation days employees are skipping this year increased by one over last year
• On average, Americans leave at least four days unclaimed annually.
• Compared with other developed countries, Americans receive the fewest vacation days per year on average -- 14 days, as opposed to 17 in Australia, 19 in Canada, 24 in Great Britain, 27 in Germany and 39 in France (according to the Expedia survey).
• 20 percent of 400 workers surveyed had not taken a vacation, which is considered three or more consecutive days off, in the last three or more years.
• 91 percent of respondents said the amount of vacation offered is very or somewhat important when applying for a job. But only 26 percent said they had considered changing jobs because of insufficient vacation time.

AAA estimates that 40.7 million people will travel more than 50 miles from home over the July 4 holiday, a 1.2 percent increase over last year's 40.2 million travelers, according to the Orlando Business Journal. I certainly will be one of those: click here

And from Tuesday's New York Times, an article about tools that are now in place to catch expense account padders. I wouldn't go booking that July 4th getaway on the company credit card anytime soon: click here

We will be closed on July 4th but we will be in the office on Monday, July 3rd which means you'll only miss one day of the blog next week...Have a great weekend!

Hiring and Firing

3 Articles about Hiring and Firing...

We'll go with the good news first:

Hiring in the United States in July, according to The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations, is expected to be strong as shown by this Washington Times article: click here

Now the informative news:

According to the Washington Post, an increasing number of companies use probing questions to sift through and assess acceptability and future success of prospective hires: click here

Now the firing news:

It actually isn't all bad news since the numbers suggest strength in the labor market, but initial jobless claims rose 4000 last week, according to Bloomberg: click here

Happy Almost Friday!

Must Be My Lucky Day

Two posts? Yes, you're getting lucky with a Double Dose of Astron Solutions blog today as Human Resource talk heats up. The SHRM conference is over, but that doesn't mean your knowledge of the current HR issues need to end.

Two hot button topics:

Whistleblowing: The high court sends a message to employers, and as detailed in this Washington Post editorial from today, it's a refreshing change for some who were worried about not being able to complain without fear: click here

Second Hand Smoke: Guess what, it kills? And, says the Surgeon General, Richard Carmona, the only way to stop it from continuing to kill is to ban it from all workplaces. Although the movie "Thank You For Smoking" was just released recently, people have known for a long time that smoking kills and some say it's about time to get rid of it in all workplaces while others worry about the effect it will have on smokers: click here

Post your comments and let us know what you think

Dear Summer

Summer is here and the outfits get ... a little bizarre. Dress codes can vary, and many employers get a little lax with their "business casual" attire. Just how lax though really does depend on the company, its culture, safety concerns, and the types of visitors the organization receives.

As you can see an example of a dress code gone wrong in this article from the Louisiana Employment Law Letter: click here

And here are some points, from Vault.com's Weekly Career Update, to consider when developing your summer dress policy:

• How many visitors do you normally entertain at your workplace? And how do they typically dress?
  
• What is appropriate for the summer? Blue jeans, shorts (how short?),
  T-shirts, flip flops, sweats, peek-a-boo shirts, halter tops, spandex, tube
  tops?
  
• How much skin and/or undergarments do you want to see? The more lax the
  policy, the more likely you are to see visible body parts (and your next
  harassment lawsuit).
  

Two for Tuesday

Two articles for this Tuesday

First comes from the New York Post as Joel Sherman shows amazement at how George Steinbrenner has loosened up the controls on his team and allowed Brian Cashman to do his job as the General Manager: click here.

We'll see how long this continues, especially with the Yankees 2 1/2 games out of first place (despite a resurgent Big Unit with help from Jason Giambi last night), but very few will deny that the overall organization is in better condition (from the Single A farm teams on up). This decision to harvest young players and build from within as well as lean on Cashman's advice that signing old, high-priced players will eventually drive the Yankees back into the baseball cellar seems to be the correct way of doing things. Eventually a good executive or manager in a company will realize when it is time to give up some control for the better of an organization and this can definitely be seen in this case.

The other article, from the Portland Business Journal is definitely related as it talks about what a C.E.O. can do to motivate employees: click here.

When I worked at Deutsche Bank as a summer intern, we used to have a speaker series. One of the speakers was a surprise guest: CEO of Private Wealth Management in North America, Gloria Nelund. She spoke and answered questions and asked us about the internship program. A couple of days later I saw Gloria in the elevators and she had remembered my name and what I was doing at the bank and asked me by name how it was going. Although not a huge gesture, the fact that the CEO took time to remember me meant a lot.

Almost Famous

Have you visited us at the SHRM conference yet? You have until Wednesday, June 28th, to do so! (details in previous post)

Jennifer C. Loftus, SPHR, CCP, CBP, GRP, a National Director for Astron Solutions, was interviewed for a Business Week segment on Paid Sabbaticals. If you missed the show on television, you can still check it out at the Business Week site: click here

And, from Malaysia, an article from Business Times about how Human Resources have moved from the role of "payroll" or "recruiter" and into the role of "strategic partner in the organisation": click here

Let us know if you agree with that assessment.

It’s Here—the 58th Annual SHRM conference!

Please be sure to visit the Astron Solutions team at booths #2823 and 2825 at the 58th Annual SHRM Conference June 25th-28th, 2006 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Our Senior Team welcomes the opportunity to meet you!

National Directors Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich, and Senior Automation Expert John Sazaklis will be on hand all three days. Senior Statistical Analyst Eric Katz will join us on Monday. Statistical Analyst Michael Snell will join us Tuesday.

Join us on Tuesday, June 27th from 4-5:15 PM when Jennifer Loftus will be giving a presentation titled "I Said It Was The Money...But I Lied" which discusses ways for you and your organization to implement proactive ideas to update your exit interview systems and stem undesired turnover of key employees.

Drop off your business card or scan your badge to win one of 3 great prizes.

We’re Giving Away 2 Dalmatian Puppies and a 1GB Jumpdrive!

When your work is a zoo

Do you feel like you're stuck in a real-life version of the movie "Office Space" with Milton playing his music in the next cubicle and Nina next door answering the corporate accounts phone? Basically is your office a zoo?

Well it's nothing like that zoo at this office... click here

But it may be like the zoo at these offices... click here

Remember, if you have any suggestions for things you would like to see discussed in our blog or on our bi-weekly ezine, Astronology, please e-mail us to let us know...

We're baaaaack

After a brief hiatus, the Astron Solutions blog is back and better than ever.

We'll try to keep you updated semi-regularly with articles, websites and tools having to do with Human Resources. We also encourage you to check out our website: http://www.astronsolutions.com/index.htm. At the bottom of the screen you can subscribe to our bi-weekly human resource ezine, Astronology.

If there is a human resource topic that you would like to see covered, e-mail us and we’ll do our best to include that in our next issue.

We’re back with two articles.

One article is about the Administrative Review Board of the U.S. Department of Labor which broke new ground in a Sarbanes-Oxley Act ("SOX") whistleblower case brought by an employee of a privately held subsidiary of a public company (from Proskauer Rose LLP): click here

The other is a humorous one which may be the first time you’ll be glad to have a bad boss (from Reuters "Oddly Enough"): click here

If you have a boss worthy of that website, let us know too by e-mailing us

Brown bagging it? Blog teaches lunchtime etiquette

Beacon Journal | 03/06/2006 | Lunch blog aids hapless in brown bag etiquette

When Aparna Mohan started bringing her lunch to work, rather than shelling out over $10 each day to eat at one of the many over-priced lunch stops, she realized that she was not alone. Soon, she and her colleagues were sharing stories about what to pack, how to pack it and how to avoid being the victim of lunch bag thievery. She started her own blog on the subject http://lunchcounterculture.blogspot.com

The Washington Post recently offered tips from etiquette expert Shawna Schuh about what to do if your lunch mysteriously disappears:

• Don't assume that someone is doing this to you. It's probably being done to everyone. It's not personal.
• Don't complain and whine. You have to take a different tack; otherwise you'll just weaken the workplace more.
• Prepare. If your lunch always gets stolen, shame on you. (This is when you need to get yourself an insulated lunch bag.)
• Educate. A sign on the fridge as simple as ``This is not your mother's refrigerator. You can't just take anything out of it'' may clue in the clueless. Or put a note inside your lunch bag: ``Stolen food rots stomachs.''

With sunny spring days right around the corner, take the time to enjoy a meal away from your desk. You may even want to bring your lovingly packed lunch to your local park...that is, if it isn't already being eaten by someone else!

The Top Ten Hardest Jobs to Fill

Employers Report the 10 Jobs Most Difficult to Fill

A recent study by Manpower, Inc. revealed that employers from around the world are having trouble finding the right employees for jobs.

In the United States, fourty-four percent of employers are having difficulty finding the right candidates, while Mexico (78%), Canada (66%) and Japan (58%) are having even more of a struggle.

As reported in a recent www.hr.blr.com article, the top ten hardest positions to fill are:

1)Sales Representatives
2)Engineers
3)Nurses
4)Technicians (primarily production/operations, engineering or maintenance)
5)Accountants
6)Administrative Assistants & PAs
7)Drivers
8)Call Center Operators
9)Machinists
10)Management/Executives

Girl Scout Cookies to Wrapping Paper...the Charitable Season Begins in the Workplace

CourierPostOnline - South Jersey's Web Site

Ah fundraisers. It's a rare workplace that doesn't have anyone hawking candy for their kids' schools or someone raising money by running for a great cause. It's a good feeling knowing that your donation is making a difference, but it can also cause some sticky situations in the office environment. Late winter/early spring seems to be the time when fundraising is in full swing, and it can be difficult to choose one over the other without hurting anyone's feelings.

Of course, workplace fundraising is a safe alternative to selling door-to-door. However there are some rules of thumb for making the workplace sale or acquiring that donation. From Gannett News Service...

"Avoid office e-mails. Instead, place fundraising fliers, sign-up sheets and self-serve product kits in a high-traffic, central location such as the office break room or bulletin board," suggests Jon Krueger, spokesman for the Association of Fundraising Distributors and Suppliers.

Career coach, Lyn Jarrett says, "If it's a cause you don't know much about, you can say that you have your set charities that you give to and that you stick to those. If you do want to give and don't want to look like you're playing favorites, set an amount that you will give to everyone."

One thing to keep in mind is that no one should ever go desk to desk soliciting donations. Not only can it be distracting, but it can be very uncomfortable for everyone involved.

Done the right way, fundraising can promote positive social interaction, although possibly some weight gain. Can someone please pass the Thin Mints?

'Office Space' Is Favorite Workplace Movie with 'Nine to Five' a Close Second

'Office Space' Is Favorite Workplace Movie; 'Nine to Five' Aging Gracefully

Looks like workplace movie fans are as passionate about Office Space as Milton is about his red stapler.

In a recent HR.BLR.com poll, 438 participants voted Office Space their favorite work-themed movie at 37 percent. Following closely with 30 percent is the 1980 classic Nine to Five starring Lily Tomlin, Dabney Coleman, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda.

"Like Nine to Five, Office Space was about workers who rebelled against their greedy, soulless employer and it really resonated with a lot of disgruntled cubicle dwellers," said Chris Ceplenski, HR.BLR.com editor. "Considering that Nine to Five is almost 20 years older than Office Space,' that it's still so popular is really impressive."

Rounding out the top five were Working Girl (20 percent), Wall Street (12 percent) and Clockwatchers (1 percent).

Vacation Deprivation

According to a recent study by online travel site, Expedia.com, Americans left over 421 million vacation days unused in 2005.

"American workers receive the least amount of vacation days (12 on
average) among all the countries that we surveyed," said Kari Swartz, Expedia.com product manager for leisure travel. "Yet we still, unbelievably,don't use up all of our days, with each American worker estimated to give back an average of 3 vacation days in 2005."

So what about those workers who are sticking with their new year's resolution to travel in 2006? According to Expedia.com's current bookings, the destinations are mostly warm and sunny. The top ten destinations for travel between January - March 2006 include:

1. Las Vegas, NV
2. Orlando, FL
3. New York, NY
4. Honolulu, Hawaii
5. Paris, France
6. Maui, Hawaii
7. Jamaica
8. Puerto Vallarta
9. Rome, Italy
10. The Bahamas

Anthropologist, Hurdler, Experimenter...Positive Roles that Should be Found in Every Workplace

The Globe and Mail: Populate your workplace with 10 positive roles

Tom Kelley's new book, The Ten Faces of Innovation explores unique job roles that should be found in foward-thinking organizations. You may already have individuals in the roles (most likely they have boring titles like, VP, Manager, and Customer Service Rep). Perhaps it's time to think a little differently to encourage true innovation in your workplace.

Here are brief descriptions of each vital role from Canada's Globe and Mail...

The anthropologist observes human behaviour in order to develop a deep understanding of how people interact physically and emotionally with products, services, and spaces.

The experimenter prototypes new ideas continuously, learning through trial and error. Those experiments can be quick and dirty -- they don't need to be expensive -- and need not just be about products or services but about marketing, sales and distribution options.

The cross-pollinator explores other industries and cultures, translating the findings into your company's systems or products. Ideas from the piano and the sewing machine helped in creating the typewriter.

The hurdler knows how to get past the many obstacles that can prevent an idea from seeing the light of day. After the idea of Scotch tape was initially rejected, its inventor used subterfuge to get the equipment to build the first batch, paying for it in $99 installments to keep below his $100 authorization limit.

The collaborator helps bring people together, leading from the middle of the pack and encouraging others to see merit in a proposal. On teams, the collaborator uses his or her diplomatic skills to hold the group together if it threatens to splinter or disband.

The director gathers a talented cast and crew and helps to spark their talents, like Steven Spielberg.

The experience architect designs compelling experiences to connect at a deep level with customers' needs, or to make the workplace better for employees. He or she sets the stage for positive encounters with your organization through products, services, digital interactions, spaces, or events.

The set designer creates a stage on which people can do their best work. After watching students at the University of California's Irvine campus, IDEO staff turned from anthropologists into set designers and created door-less alcoves with whiteboards, plug-ins for laptops, and flat-panel monitors for collaboration throughout the central hallways so students could work together.

The caregiver anticipates needs to make sure customers and team members are properly cared for.

The storyteller builds internal morale and external awareness through compelling narratives that communicate a fundamental human value or reinforce a specific cultural trait.

To learn more about Tom Kelley and The Ten Faces of Innovation, be sure to visit his website.

New OFCCP Rule Goes Into Effect February 6th, 2006

The Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has issued a final rule that clarifies the definition of an "Internet Job Applicant" and outlines guidelines regarding the new law.

On February 6th, all federal contractors and subcontractors covered under Executive Order 11246 will be required to maintain strict records on individuals that qualify as Internet Applicants.

An individual is considered an "Internet Applicant" if each of the following four criteria are met:
• The individual submits an expression of interest in employment through the Internet or related electronic data technologies
• The contractor considers the individual for employment in a particular position
• The individual's expression of interest indicates the individual possesses the basic qualifications for the position
• The individual at no point in the contractor's selection process prior to receiving an offer of
employment from the contractor, removes himself or herself from further consideration or otherwise indicates that he or she is no longer interested in the position.

Individuals who meet all four criteria of this definition must be solicited for race/ethnicity and
gender information, and be included in an adverse impact analysis.

For an indepth look at what the new law entails, we recommend that you check out Monster's "Pathway to Compliance" PDF.

"Wal-Mart Bill" Becomes Law on 01/01/07

Legal Info Service (US)

The "Wal-Mart Bill" which was orginally vetoed by Gov. Bob Ehrlich, was overriden by Maryland lawmakers. The new law, which requires that large employers with at least 10,000 workers in the state must spend a set percentage of payroll on employee health coverage or else pay into a state health care fund, will go into effect on January 1st, 2007. Noncompliant employers can face penalties of up to $250,000. For more information, click here.

New Jersey Becomes Nation's 11th Smokefree Workplace State

New Jersey Becomes Nation's 11th Smokefree Workplace State

New Jersians will soon be breathing a little easier now that acting Governor Richard J. Codey signed the smokefree workplace bill into law.

Under the new law, employees and customers of restaurant and drinking establishments will now be able to avoid the dangers of secondhand smoke.

"The data says smoking kills. It's not just an annoyance," said New Jersey's Commissioner of Health, Fred M. Jacobs. "That's where we got the traction to get this done."

The new law will go into effect on April 15.

Fortune Reveals the 100 Best Companies to Work For

Fortune: 100 Best Companies to Work For

Fortune magazine has published its list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2006, which are also broken down according to pay, benefits, job growth among other categories.

Genentech, a midsized Biotechnology firm in San Francisco, was selected as the best employer for which to work in 2006. The company received high marks for its benefits package, which includes an employee stock-purchase plan, eligibility for stock options and bonuses, and a six-week paid sabbatical program. Their tremendous growth and low turnover helped make them a likely choice.

Fortune evaluated the policies and culture of each company and surveyed the opinions of the company's employees when determining who would make the list. Visit their site for more information on the rankings.

Calendar Helps Track Disclosures

Keeping track of the numerous federal laws and requirements have just gotten a little easier. The Segal Co. has created a calendar which includes all important reporting and disclosure dates for benefit plans, as well as DOL, IRS, and Pension Benefit Quarantee Corp. requirements. They also made sure the calendar covered HIPAA rules, COBRA notice requirements and Medicare Part D notices. Want to see it for yourself? You can check it out for yourself here.

California Issues Sexual Harassment Training Regulations

HR Legal Update for January 6, 2006 - Distributed by HRN Management Group

California's new sexual harassment law regarding supervisor training for supervisors now has regulations to back it up. Here's the latest from HRN Management Group's HR Legal Update:

The law requires that any employer with 50 or more employees (anywhere) must provide sexual harassment training to supervisors every two years. Supervisors are defined to include anyone supervising an employee in California, whether or not that supervisor lives in California. Thus, if you are a covered employer with just one employee in California supervised by a manager in Utah, you must train that manager. The regulations explain how training must be conducted, how new businesses must comply, how soon new supervisors must be trained and who is qualified to provide the training. Employers of 50 or more persons with any employees in California must be in compliance with this law by December 31, 2005.

To view the proposed regulations, click here.

New USERRA Poster Requirement as of December 19th

From HR.BLR.com ...

Bulletin: USERRA Regulations Changed on December 19, 2005

On December 19, 2005, the U.S. Department of Labor published final regulations interpreting the law that protects employment and reemployment rights and benefits of service members upon their return to civilian life. The DOL also revised the language of the notice employers must provide to workers informing them of their rights under USERRA.


Download a FREE copy of this required poster here.

The final USERRA regulations provide detailed guidance on important (and sometimes confusing) employer obligations under USERRA, such as:

- Treatment of pension plan benefits
- Tax treatment of differential pay, and other compensation and benefits
- Burden of legal proof in USERRA cases
- Treatment of independent contractors and tests to determine contractor status
- Amount of time off employees may take before military service
- Reemployment limitations
- Treatment of bonuses during leave
- Benefits waivers
- Use of vacation or other leave
- Healthcare issues
- Reemployment rules
- Promotions
- Disabled service members
- Rate of pay on return
- Protection against discharge

Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus

HR.COM- The Human Resources Portal

When one thinks of great business leaders, what names come to mind? Most likely names like Bill Gates, Henry Ford, Estee Lauder, John D. Rockefeller, and Santa Claus pop up. Santa Claus you ask? Sure! Who else runs a more productive business, is more committed to customer service, and is as beloved?

Al Lucia was recently interviewed by HR.com about his recent book, "The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus." In it, he puts Santa’s success down to eight secrets: Build A Wonderful Workshop, Choose Your Reindeer Wisely, Make a List and Check it Twice, Listen to the Elves, Get Beyond The Red Wagon, Share the Milk and Cookies, Find Out Who’s Naughty and Nice, and Be Good For Goodness’ Sake.

Be sure to check out the interview on the HR.com site (you will have to first sign up for a free membership in order to access the page.) Enjoy!

Workplace giving generates more than $3.8 billion annually in the U.S.

Workplace giving grows beyond borders

Are workplaces becoming more charity-minded? A recent survey of 22 U.S. corporations reveal that 86% of corporations surveyed provided employees with a way to give to global disaster relief, 75% offer choices beyond United Way that include payroll deduction, 68% of companies match employee charitable gifts, and 45% are considering making positive changes to their donation campaigns including making better use of technology and expanding choices for charitable giving.

In light of the recent natural disasters in the world, these results make perfect sense. Currently, workplace giving campaigns generate $3.8 billion annually, and can possibly increase in the future. Read the full SHRM Online article here.

More New Moms Returning to Work

According to a recent Census Bureau report, more women are having children after 30, and continuing to work after childbirth.

The average age of first-time moms increased from 21.4 years in 1970 to 24.9 years in 2000. In addition, the number of first-time births to women over 30 tripled between 1960 and 2000, from 7% to 22%.

In 2000, 26% of new mothers left their jobs after having a child, in comparison to 36% in 1981. Experts believe that these shrinking numbers reflect an increased number of workplaces offering flexible schedules.

You can view the full report here.

SSNs for Employee Identification on the Way Out

The Omnia Group, Inc.

Omnia recently reported that as identity theft grows, the number of employers using Social Security numbers (SSNs) as internal employee identification devices are going down. In fact, lawmakers in Michigan and California have already taken action, and have restricted the use of SSNs for identity purposes.

Michigan’s SSN Privacy Act goes into effect Jan. 1, 2006. It prohibits employers from disclosing more than four sequential SSN digits to any third party. The Act states that the use of more than four SSN digits is prohibited on any identification badge or network unless the connection is secure, the transmission is encrypted or a password or other unique personal identification number is also required to gain access. California passed S.B. 101 this year, clarifying that by Jan. 1, 2008, no more than the last four SSN digits may appear on an employee’s pay stub.

Experts believe that it is just a matter of time before federal legislation is passed that will make the use of SSNs for identity purposes a thing of the past.

Stewardesses Strip for Pension Awareness

Benefitnews.com - Information for HR and Benefit Directors and other Employee Benefit Plan Sponsors and Advisers

A group of former flight attendants, hoping to call attention to the preservation of United Airlines pension funds, recently posed for the "Stewardesses Stripped 2006 Calendar." The calendar includes scantily clad retirees, between the ages of 50 and 60, with photo captions such as, "If your pension is terminated, will you be left with a wing and a prayer?"

Since United Airlines went into Chapter 11 in December 2002, there is a distinct possibility that pensions will be slashed up to 50% in the near future.

As reported in BenefitNews.com, Connie Baker, brainchild behind the calendar and former United flight attendant explained, "The main point is to get the message out. It's pretty sad but we had to take our clothes off to get a little attention."

The Older and Wiser Worker

Throw out the old stereotypes regarding older workers. Often thought of as being unreceptive to change and technology, more and more organizations are finding that older workers bring a level of experience and knowledge not found among their younger counterparts.

A recent study shows that nearly 40 percent of workers say their company encourages older workers to stay on the job. Hudson's aging workforce study, conducted nationally among 1,075 US Workers, found that 38 percent say their organizations keep older workers. Only 15 percent felt that their employers want to make way for younger employees.

For more information on the study, check out HR.BLR.com's article, "More Employees Say Employers Encourage Older Workers to Stay"
http://hr.blr.com/display.cfm/id/17038

Reader Feedback re: "When the Employee is Able but Not Willing " Astronology Article

This past Tuesday's Astronology Article, "When the Employee is Able but Not Willing" stirred up some debate among readers. Richard L. Virgilio, SPHR, of First Principles Coaching & Intrepid HR Consulting, Batavia, IL, shared his views on the subject...

I disagree strongly with your (and with most of the field's) characterization of personal interaction ability as something called "soft skills." They are not only not "soft," but--as you point out in the article--perhaps even MORE important than the so-called "hard" skills which are most used for hiring and evaluation purposes. We, as HR professionals, need to get away from calling them "soft" as though they are squishy, malleable, or of less importance. There are practical skills, hand-eye coordination skills, creative skills, communication skills, team-building skills, machine operating skills, critical-thinking skills,......which are "hard" and which are "soft"? Which are important, which vital, and which not-so? Which can be massaged to make room for others? At what cost to the company? Skills are skills, and characterizing them as "soft" or "hard" does no one any favor. In addition, the term "personality" is a very specific, technical term in the behavioral and clinical medical sciences. Unless the interviewer or hiring manager is a clinician in some aspect of psychology, he or she is simply not qualified to make a decision based on personality.

As always, we welcome viewer feedback. Feel free to send in your comments!

Man Fired for Seeing Ghosts

He Sees Dead People

A Des Moines, Iowa security guard was fired this past September when he claimed to see ghosts while on the job. Wade Gallegos, who did not have any drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the incident, claimed to see ghosts while patroling the neighborhood he was responsible to protect.

Once fired, his former company attempted to deny Gallegos unemployment benefits, claiming that he was fired for misconduct. However, when the case recently went to court, the judge ruled that Gallegos was indeed entitled to unemployment benefits.

"Such beliefs do render the claimant unfit to act as a security guard," said Judge G. Ken Renegar. However, the judge made it clear that seeing ghosts is not misconduct and cannot disqualify Gallegos from receiving benefits.

Corporate Jet Set May Get Taxed

Legal Info Service (US)

Soon, jetting from meeting to meeting may not be as economically feasible as it once was. A new provision in the tax-cut extension package was recently approved by the senate which would require executives to pay income tax on the company's actual cost of providing personal use of a company airplane. The provision is projected to raise an estimated $95 million in extra revenue for the government over the next 10 years. It is headed for House vote this month.

Giving Gifts in the Workplace

TheStar.com - Mind your workplace gift-giving protocol

Exchanging gifts in the workplace can be tricky. Figuring out what to get a boss or co-worker, not to mention a client, can be a difficult and stressful undertaking.

Additionally, some offices don't allow employees to accept gifts over a certain value. The Toronto Star recently shared some tips on gift-giving etiquette in the office to help make the season go smoothly.

- Consider giving clients something that represents your company.
- If giving to one person in an organization, tailor your gift to his or her interests.
- Don't give gifts that are too personal, such as perfume or clothing.
- Mail the gifts to the recipients office not home.
- Always write thank you notes for the presents that you receive.