It’s the happiest time of year – except for employers facing the potential of a religious discrimination lawsuit from employees due to holiday decorations, gift exchanges, and other festivities. While it may seem Grinch-like, such lawsuits are not uncommon. Just a few months ago, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) […]
Author: MIKE SCHERZER
Planning ahead for calamity days
Hurricanes. Snowstorms. Wildfires. Although the events differ based on where an employer is located, such natural disasters pose uniform questions about how to handle potential closures and payment to employees who may not be able to make it into work because of extreme weather or other forms of emergency. Sometimes […]
The Gig Economy
What is the Gig Economy? Currently, there is no official definition of the “gig economy” but can best be described as an engagement to complete a single task or project more or less to “work on-demand”. According to the Pew Research Center on Internet and Technology, more than one-third of the U.S. workforce is officially […]
Unconscious bias in the workplace
A new advertisement from Procter & Gamble features an African-American man going about his day. While walking down a street, a mother shuts her car window as he walks by; he garners suspicious glances while shopping and a couple elects not to sit near him in a restaurant. The commercial, […]
The hot trend in legal agreements: Weinstein clauses
The #MeToo movement has triggered a sea of change with regard to sexual harassment in the workplace, including a new trend in legal agreements. Dubbed the “Weinstein clause,” the new addition to the standard roster of representations and warranties in a sales agreement focuses on a company’s knowledge or […]
Harassment vs. workplace bullying
What is the difference between workplace bullying and harassment? Bullying and harassment often feature similar behaviors, such as offensive remarks or physical aggression. Workplace bullying is generally recognized as repeated, unreasonable and unwelcome behavior directed at a specific employee (or multiple employees) involving a power imbalance that results in psychological […]
Multi-Tasking
I recently started to read a book where my first impression was that I did not agree with the author’s premises. One premise is that multi-tasking is ineffective. You need to concentrate one task at a time. For a person that prides himself on multi-tasking, I was taken aback. Yet, […]
25 Good Interview Questions….and 8 to Avoid
When preparing to interview job candidates, it’s important for supervisors to plan out their lines of questioning. Decide which skills are most important for the particular position, then focus your questions on assessing those skills. Here are some sample questions to work from: Employment History If you had to evaluate […]
The Importance of Branding
Smaller businesses often make the mistake of not spending enough time on their branding efforts. Branding doesn’t have to be limited to large multi-national companies with huge advertising budgets. Branding can be a way to help build a connection with your customers/clients and cultivate a better relationship with your employees […]
Seven Elements of Effective Governance for Small to Medium Businesses
Simply put, corporate governance is the framework under which an organization operates — in essence, it is a toolkit that enables management and the board to deal more effectively with the challenges of running a company. Corporate governance, among other things, ensures that businesses meet legal and regulatory requirements, ethical […]