HR Soapbox

Time to update the performance review process? Study says yes.

January 11, 2019
New research suggests the annual performance review is getting a makeover that includes shortening the process and adding peer-to-peer components.

Election Day & HR: Offer Voting Leave and Keep the Peace

October 24, 2018
An increasing number of organizations are changing their policies to give workers time off to vote and, in many cases, paying them for this voting leave.

Is illegal bias lurking in your online job ad?

October 16, 2018
Spot the errors in this vintage Pony Express job ad.

HR lesson from DC drama: Should you require staff to sign NDAs?

August 17, 2018
The scandal de jour in Washington swirling around Omarosa Manigault Newman, a fired White House aide who wrote a tell-all book, has ignited a debate about the appropriate—and legal—use of nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to block employees from disclosing information about a past employer.

Fired for her one-finger salute to Trump: Does she have a case?

November 9, 2017
A Virginia woman created a social media storm last month when she was photographed giving the presidential motorcade the middle finger while riding her bike. When she notified her bosses at Akima, a federal contracting firm, that she was the woman in the photo, they instantly fired her and escorted her out.

HR in a Post-Weinstein, #MeToo World

October 30, 2017

The flood of accusations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has given women new confidence to publicly denounce sexual harassment and other misconduct by powerful leaders. How would your organization handle a bombshell complaint against your top brass?

Overheard at SHRM: Highlights from the Annual HR-palooza

June 26, 2017
This year, America’s largest annual gathering of HR professionals rolled south to the Big Easy, as 15,145 HR and business leaders attended the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference in New Orleans from June 18-21. Here are some of the leading thoughts from the dozens of thought leaders at the podiums:

Communication Breakdown: Is All the Trump Talk Stressing Your Staff & Sapping Their Time?

May 26, 2017

When the combative 2016 election culminated in a surprise Trump victory last November, most people thought the inter-office political debates would ease as the calendar turned to 2017. In fact, all the workplace talk and tension has only increased, says a new study. How should employers respond, and can you ban political talk at work? …

17 for ’17: The Best Quotes from Last Week’s Big LEAP Conference

April 4, 2017
Hundreds of HR professionals descended on Bellagio in Las Vegas from March 29 to 31 to soak up employment law advice from more than two dozen of America’s finest employment lawyers at the 13th annual Labor & Employment Law Advanced Practices (LEAP) Symposium. Here are 17 pearls of wisdom from this year’s LEAP presenters. (Note: You can register for next year’s event at www.LEAP2018.com.)


How much do you know about employment law?

February 24, 2017

Complying with the alphabet soup of employment laws takes a big portion of HR’s day. And compliance will get even harder in 2017. How well do you know employment law? Take this quick quiz …