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In his 2014 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama announced he would instruct the U.S. Treasury to create a new kind of salary-deferral retirement savings vehicle, the "myRA," to give workers whose employers don't offer 401(k) plans a way to save for retirement.

On January 28, President Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union Address from the Capitol. The SHRM Government Affairs team and the Council for Global Immigration hosted a live Twitter chat to engage HR professionals in a conversation about the President's legislative agenda and HR public policy issues in the current Congress.  

Companies looking to pare health costs by requiring working spouses to get health insurance through their own employer may find the move has some unexpected consequences, according to a new study by the nonprofit Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

Shifty eyes? Crossed arms? Gaps in the resume? 

To some, these things might signal that an employee or job applicant isn’t being entirely forthcoming. But detecting deception requires more than familiarity with body language or red flags on applications, HR experts say. 

Confronting the growing burden of health care compliance documents

The California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) is taking aim at employers for wage theft. In the latest example of the division’s aggressive stance, it claimed Little Lopez Corporation, a janitorial services provider, owed wages to 41 current and former employees and, following an investigation, has issued citations to the company totaling $332,675.

Plaintiffs’ lawyers were falling over themselves last week in a race to the courthouse to sue Target as a result of its recent data breach. By at least one report, over 40 lawsuits have already been filed against Target, the first of which was filed the day after the breach became public.

"The surest way to make employees untrustworthy is to distrust them -- and to show it." - Henry Stimson

As a certified professional, I try to challenge myself when it comes to recertification. Each year, instead of doing the same types of activities, I try to complete at least one activity in each section. And I try to find new ways to obtain recertification credits. This year, my goal is to use the new SHRMStore Credit-Approved Book program.

Reality shows have always been a hit, controversial and yet entertaining! I don't deny the fact that some of them are BS, too!

But here is the one show that is focused on making an impact by helping the audience find a job, learn what is happening behind the veil of job interview, and that brings you the tricks and tactics of a recruiter and the fresh and latest of the recruitment industry! The one that has its fingers on the pulse of recruitment industry-Top Recruiter the Competition on TopRecruiter.tv

Six years ago, I left the world of technology sales to join the “employee recognition” industry. At the time, trophy manufacturers and fulfillment houses were giving prizes to people for their organizational tenure. Much in the way one receives a class ring, employees were rewarded a milestone award that was centric to their company brand. These mementos served as badges of honor to certain employees. Then technology took over.

On January 15, @weknownext chatted with special guest Emily Jasper (@EmilyJasper) about Creating Groundswells in HR.

In case you missed it, here are all the great tweets from the chat:

What will challenge chief executive officers in 2014?

Human capital and how best to develop, manage, engage and retain talent were among the leading challenges cited in a new survey of executives from more than 1,000 companies worldwide.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provisions that took effect Jan. 1, 2014, require health care coverage for individual- and small-group markets on one of four levels—referred to as an essential health benefits package—bronze, silver, gold and platinum.

New protections for job applicants convicted of crimes, for employees who use medical marijuana and for workers’ private social media accounts are among the state laws that took effect in 2014. 

Much like a groundswell where a massive storm can create huge waves and a rise in the sea level, a groundswell among large groups of individuals -- using the power of technology and social media to connect -- can create a major surge in support, approval and enthusiasm to accomplish goals. Companies have started using groundswells to inspire consumers to rally around a cause -- and a brand.  Procter & Gamble successfully created a groundswell around the Secret brand with their “Fearless” campaign.

The research, literature and advice available for employers around the issue of workplace wellness initiatives is massive.  Not only can one access reams of data that supports the benefits of implementing such programs but there are also a number of HR vendors (technology, service, and consultative) that can assist in management should your organization choose to focus on employee wellness. 

I agree with leadership maven John Maxwell and others who have stated that that the key to leadership is influence.  In my view, leadership is influence.

I have read a great deal about levels of leadership and level of influence. For this blog, however, I have divided influence, upon which leadership hinges, into three general categories:

First, there is influence based on positional authority.  Get it done because I am your boss.

It’s not what you know that can hurt you; it’s what you don’t know.

That adage is particularly appropriate today as Congress quietly considers an issue that could affect every American—yet few are aware of it.

While every conscientious HR professional has been working overtime to keep up with the evolving status of the Affordable Care Act, developments with immigration reform, and the implications of new workplace rules, something else has been happening behind closed doors on Capitol Hill.

Global professional services firm Mercer has produced surveys of multinational employers showing that most intend to increase the number of employees they send on both long-term and short-term global assignments over the next two years. While some employers have large, mature mobility programs with hundreds of expatriates in dozens of countries, others have small, newer programs.

Demand keeps compensation competitive; experience is a plus.

Morale boosters can lift workers out of January slump