It can be frustrating for an English-speaking customer to deal with an employee who struggles with the language. However, companies generally see the value in having bilingual employees on-staff to address the many consumers who haven't mastered English. But what does any of that have to do with conversations between...
A high turnover rate can be devastating for a company; it's expensive, draining for those left behind who have to pick up the slack, and frustrating for customers and clients who've developed relationships with the fallen soldiers on your staff. The Wall Street Journal online offers the key to employee retention...
A while back, we cited research that suggests companies should adopt a less rigid approach to handling absenteeism since juggling work and life responsibilities can be challenging. General Motors agrees work/life balance programs are important -- for salaried employees, that is -- but thinks harsh measures are necessary to combat the industry-wide absenteeism issue...
It's not yet Friday, but the weekend's almost here. That makes it a perfect time for just a little levity, courtesy of Forbes. Remember: even if your job gets tough, you never have to clean up blood, wax a man's back, or "stimulate" a bull. (If you do, you may...
How do you know where to draw the line when it comes to accommodating religion in the workplace? If clients are offended by a pentagram-wearing Pagan employee, can you ask her to keep the symbol hidden? If a worker objects to working on the weekends because of the Sabbath (as...
Chevron's new global corporate image campaign, "The Power of Energy" may aggravate people with its overarching heart-string pulling. (Shot documentary-style with "an earnest voice-over" by indie actor Campbell Scott, the commercials should be dramatic. One of the spots even features a double amputee as a symbol of "the greatest source of energy in the...
How often do you give out atta-boys throughout the work day? Most likely, you don't get enough of them yourself. Research from the US Department of Labor indicates 64 percent of working Americans leave their jobs because they don't feel appreciated. According to global research firm The Gallup Organization, 70...
Would you hire a candidate who handed you a beer in an interview? That's exactly what one new-to-Second Life avatar did intending to hand over his resume during a TMP Worldwide virtual job fair. There's a lot of hype about virtual recruiting; it allows candidates to release physical insecurities, create appealing and...
Would you say that seeking, getting, and adapting to a job promotion is more challenging than grieving? How about raising a teenager or getting divorced? According to a Development Dimensions International study, although excited by the prospect of moving up, many managers feel underprepared for the increased responsibility and afraid of failure. Only...
You're taking off a week to go to Hawaii or Paris -- or maybe you're just schlepping it over to small town, Missouri to visit family -- and you tell your employees you'll be unreachable for the week. Come Wednesday you start wondering if that important report got processed. So you...
Even if your company is already mindful of its workers' employment eligibility, you may want to double-check your hiring paperwork. The Department of Homeland Security-issued "No-Match" regulation imposes penalties on companies that don't verify employees' Social Security numbers with the SSA database within 90 days of hire. If you...
So far this year, Gap Inc.'s laid off 1 percent of its workforce(1,500 employees) to offset losses sustained under the direction of ex-CEO Paul Pressler. While downsizing cuts costs on paper, this presupposes remaining employees will remain productive -- which might be a challenge if workers fear for their own...
Colorado is banning sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace under a new amendment to the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act CADA, joining the ranks of nearly twenty other states that have similar laws in place. Some employment attorneys foresee a maelstrom of litigation. However, the Colorado Civil Rights Division...
According to Aviation Week, a NASA-assembled panel found that on at least two occasions, astronauts engaged in "heavy use of alcohol" within twelve hours of launching, putting themselves and their colleagues at risk. In a press conference scheduled for this afternoon, NASA is expected to address the issue. They're not...
