You’ve seen several posts on this blog recently about dealing with tough times in the workplace, given our current economic problems.  Managing Leadership has a post that fits into this discussion.  “Decisiveness” is singled out as being a key leadership quality.  It’s also key in dealing with tough times at work.  It’s a thought-provoking read.

It’s time for one of those “you’ve got to be making this up” situations, akin to a previous post on “waterboarding at work.”  Some interviews can be tough.  Some can be boring.  Some can be exhilarating.  Some can be strange–a little too strange.  The interviews which are the subject of this post may also be criminal. (more…)

The subjects of dress codes and workplace violence have been regularly addressed on this blog.  It hadn’t occurred to me that there is a close connection between these two subjects, but the video clip below says otherwise, albeit tongue in cheek (at least, I think it’s tongue in cheek).  Although designed with schools in mind, this training video is equally applicable to the workplace.  It may be time to combine your dress code with your workplace violence policy.

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I have done posts on dealing with the current tough times in the workplace and have linked to posts on other blogs dealing with some aspect of this subject.  Workplace Prof Blog has a post that ties into this discussion.  Whether you agree with where this post is coming from, tough times make different points of view all the more worth considering.

I doubt the Department of Justice set out to teach any employment lessons at all when it began placing too much weight on political factors in making hiring decisions.  Another report just released by the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility and its Inspector General’s Office provides several lessons nonetheless.  (Click here, here and here for more on the underlying probe.) (more…)

Louis Armstrong could play a trumpet like few others.  He also had wisdom he shared every so often, some of which is quite appropriate for the workplace.

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In continuing to address ways to deal with workplace issues in tough times, The HR Capitalist has a post worth reading about retention.  The post addresses this question: “Is retention easier in a down economy?”  Check it out. 

“Transparency” is a key corporate buzz word.  Executives and human resources professionals are major advocates of transparency–with shareholders, customers, vendors, employees, the public, whoever’s out there.  Like most corporatespeak, it’s a term that has become meaningless except as a smoke screen.  But what about clothing transparency? (more…)

I recently had three posts on dealing with tough times at work.  (Click here, here and here.)  These posts were designed to help you help your employees.  In a similar vein, HR Wench provides some thoughts on recruiters who call you (or your employees), using our present tough times to pitch a new opportunity.  HRW’s post is worth the read.

Password has been an on-again-off-again-on-again TV show for a long time.  It involves, of course, figuring out words from clues given by one contestant to another.  Password has come to mean something else in most workplaces.  It has to do with computers and sometimes an entire computer network.  As San Francisco has recently demonstrated, this version of “password” can be much more exciting. (more…)

Job descriptions are important.  They help you determine who to hire for the job.  They help the employee know what he/she is supposed to do.  They help form the basis of what the essential functions of a job are–something important when dealing with the Americans with Disabilities Act.  They help determine whether a job is exempt or nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act. (more…)

Check out this week’s potpourri: (more…)

Here’s the Corporate BS for July 20-26: (more…)

Has technology created the perpetual workplace?  If it has, then nonexempt employees (or employees who’ve been misclassified as exempt) could be entitled to a lot of overtime pay.  A timely article on this subject recently appeared in the New York Employment Law Letter.  Read this article carefully to obtain an overview of the applicable law and to get some ideas about making sure you’re in compliance.