SHRM Blog

A scary NLRB decision threatening the integrity of workplace investigations

by Eric B. MeyerOn August 10, 2012 0 comments

HR heads are still spinning as they try to digest what the National Labor Relations Board has tried to accomplish this year.

The Acting General Counsel has issued confusing reports on social media. The Board has also attempted to create quickie union elections, and require companies to abide by a union-poster rule. Why, just a few weeks ago, the Board ruled that an "at will" provision in an employee handbook may violate the National Labor Relations Act. That one is still a head-scratcher for me.

But the National Labor Relations Board has really stepped in it again,...

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SHRMStore's Top 10 Reads After Annual Conference

by SHRM StaffOn August 8, 2012 0 comments

The SHRMStore had more than 900 items to choose from on-site at this year's Annual Conference and Exposition, including books from more than 90 speakers. Below are the top sellers from the show.

  1. The Chief HR Officer: (Top-Selling SHRM-Published Book at Annual Conference) This book shows how, in today’s extremely competitive work environment, the job of CHRO has expanded to encompass many important roles. Among other things, HR leaders must adapt to and address the demands of an increasingly diverse and demanding workforce, globalization, stricter regulatory requirements, increased accountability to the CEO and board of
    2. ...
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More Jobs Expected in Second Half of 2012

by Joe CoombsOn August 7, 2012 0 comments

Despite continued job growth, little change is expected in jobless rate  

The weak state of the U.S. job market has become old news, but the labor force is still trying to recover from an unprecedented economic downturn. Hiring will continue steadily in the manufacturing and service sectors in August—following national labor market trends—according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey for August 2012.

But a recent report by the Associated Press (AP) noted three years have passed since the Great Recession officially ended, and the vast...

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HR Tools and Tech: The Resumator: Social Recruiting Platform

by SHRM StaffOn August 6, 2012 0 comments

The Resumator offers HR professionals an innovative way to locate qualified job candidates through not only social media but across various popular job sites, while only utilizing one interface. Through the application, the user can promote job openings using social media, free job boards and other online resources. After recruiters evaluate various responses, The Resumator provides efficient applicant tracking, productivity tools, easy job syndication through numerous sites, automated rejection and confirmation messages, real time reports and analytics, custom job applications and specific roles set for individuals and team...

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#NEXTCHAT: Is HR Technology Really Making Our Jobs Easier?

by Mary Kaylor, SHRM-CPOn August 2, 2012 0 comments

By Steve Boese

There is no doubt that HR Technology plays an increasingly important role inside our organizations today. Whether simple, in-house developed tools for tracking employees in a very small organization, more complex and comprehensive ‘enterprise grade’ systems in use by most large organizations, or any of the myriad of newer HR technology solutions that are deployed via the web, in a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model - the influence and importance of workplace technology continues to grow.

But making sense of this fast-moving and changing market can be tough for the HR pro that has about a...

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#NEXTCHAT RECAP: "Employee Engagement -- Are you Listening to the Right Employees?"

by Mary Kaylor, SHRM-CPOn August 2, 2012 0 comments

On August 1, SHRM We Know Next invited special guest Jason Lauritsen to chat about "Employee Engagement -- Are you Listening to the Right Employees?"

The lively conversation addressed the definition of engagement, the link to talent and entitlement, and whether engagement was the responsibility of the employer or the employee.  Should organizations allow employees to build the surveys, and do employees who question the anonymity of the surveys provide truthful answers?

Here's a better question: Do employee engagement surveys ever result in increased employee engagement?

As Nextchater @JohnSumser tweeted: "Lincoln said, "People are as happy as they make up their minds to be."...

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Warning Employees About the Fiscal Cliff

by Michael Layman On August 2, 2012 0 comments

At the iconic ending of the 1991 film “Thelma & Louise,” Geena Davis’s character Thelma says “Let’s not get caught. Let’s keep going!” And with a smile, Louise (Susan Sarandon) steps on the gas pedal of their convertible and they go careening off the cliff to their doom.

If the Federal government’s spendthrift ways keep going full-throttle like Thelma & Louise’s car, then on Jan. 2, 2013, a sequestration order could take effect that would potentially send the nation off the “fiscal cliff.”

The fiscal cliff refers to the automatic enactment of tax and spending provisions at...

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SHRM: August LINE Report

by SHRM StaffOn August 2, 2012 0 comments
According to the SHRM Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) Report for August 2012, hiring will steadily continue in both the manufacturing and serivce sectors for the month of August. 
 
Compared to August 2011, hiring will increase in both sectors. Recruiting difficulty reported in July 2012 rose slightly in both sectors, compared to that of a year ago; 1.2 points in manufacturing and slightly more in service, 4.3 points. The rate of increase for new-hire compensation rose slightly in July in manufacturing, while falling 6.1 points...
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Why Health Care Reform Matters

by Sharlyn LaubyOn August 1, 2012 0 comments

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. Employers are now faced with putting plans in place to implement this sweeping new piece of legislation. Regardless of what individuals personally think about the act, it is important to recognize how important health care insurance can be for our employees. I learned this lesson very early in life.

April 27, 1987 is a day I will always remember.  Mr. Bartender and I had been married for 3 weeks (24 days to be exact).  I was wearing my new white pants.  We...

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Meditate and Then Read: Off Duty Policies and the NLRB

by Jonathan SegalOn August 1, 2012 0 comments

Many employers have rules that prohibit employees from returning to work while they are not on duty.  These rules are designed to keep order but they also have the effect of limiting employee access to engage in union activity while off duty.

The NLRB has long held that a rule barring off-duty employees access to the workplace is valid only if:

  1. It is limited solely to the interior of the facility
  2. It is clearly disseminated to all employees (so it must be in writing)
  3. Is applied to off duty access for all purposes, not
    4. ...
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