October 16th is the annual celebration of Boss’s Day, which has traditionally been the day for employees to “thank their boss for being kind and fair throughout the year”. In most workplaces, it is clear who is a boss and who is not. The boss is the one who tells you what to
Criminal Background Checks – Act 73’s Impact on Pennsylvania Employers
Employers engaging in business where employees have “significant likelihood of regular contact with children” should be paying close attention to the amendments to Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Act, also know as Act 73. Act 73 became effective on July 1, 2008, and has taken many employers off guard.
Act 73 expands criminal background check requirements
Paul Newman: A Lesson in Leadership from Butch Cassidy
Let’s take a moment to honor this cinematic legend while examining the dynamics of leadership that exist in all organizations whether it’s corporate America or in this case the Hole in the Wall Gang.
In this classic flick, Butch is an absentee leader with no succession plan. He is challenged by one of his subordinates for leadership of the gang. Butch leads the gang through his dominant intellect and control over the gang’s star member – the Sundance Kid a.k.a. Robert Redford. Here are some of Butch’s leadership shortcomings:
Assuming his Leadership won’t be Challenged
Butch is surprised when his leadership is challenged, but reminded by a gang member that “you always said that any one of us could challenge you Butch.” Butch responds, “That’s cause I figured no one would do it." The challenger responds, ”You figured wrong Butch.”
Losing Touch with his Team and then making Excuses
There is support for the challenge when one gang member says “ Well at least [the leadership challenger] is with us… you have been spending a lot of time gone.” Butch makes his excuse in that “everything is different now… it’s harder now…you have to plan more….”
No Succession Plan
Butch has no succession plan creating a leadership vacuum where the rules are unclear. The ensuing battle is won only by Butch’s quick thinking and fancy footwork. Ultimately, he must profess to the gang that there are no rules.
Retailating against those who Oppose him
Butch tells Sundance Kid that he doen’t mean to be a sore loser, but it the fight is done, and he’s dead, kill his successor.
Here is the full scene. Your comments on leadership are welcome.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=2y87EaadjqM%26hl%3Den%26fs%3D1
Transcript below:Continue Reading Paul Newman: A Lesson in Leadership from Butch Cassidy
Employer Dress Code Standards: “Neat, Clean and Professional” may not be Enough
The New York Times article Tattoos Gain Even More Visibility discusses the rising popularity of body art and challenges facing employers in regulating employee dress. The article focuses on tattoos but raises the larger issue of employer dress code standards and their challenges in terms of both employee retention and legal compliance.
Jon Hyman at the
Managing Layoffs and Reductions in Force
As the economic meltdown cascades through the financial, banking and related sectors, many employers are planning staff cuts. Selecting employees for lay off must be collaboration between managers and human resources. HR must be able to influence the process to reduce legal risks and assuage the anxiety of remaining employees:
Establishing Business Justification and Layoff
“Excessive Subjectivity” and Discrimination – A New EEOC Sex Discrimination Lawsuit
On September 23, 2008, the EEOC filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York against Sterling Jewelers Inc., the largest specialty retail jeweler in the United States. The EEOC’s Complaint alleges that Sterling "pays its female retail sales employees less than male employees performing substantially equal work and
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One big frustration for union organizers is access to employees for the purpose of soliciting union authorization cards and peddling the union message. Sophisticated employers have no solicitation policies, which force union organizers out of the workplace and into the parking lots and homes of employees.
The primary barrier to union home visits is determining where
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In Pichler, et al. v. UNITE, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has weighed in on the controversial union organizing tactic known as "tagging." In its effort to organize employees of Cintas Corporation, the largest domestic employer in the industrial laundry industry, UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial & Textile Employees) engaged
ADA Amendments expand Disability Coverage
President Bush will sign legislation amending the Americans with Disabilities Act, which overwhelmingly passed through Congress. The ADA Amendments Act is designed to convey Congressional intent that “the primary object of attention in cases brought under the ADA should be whether entities covered under the ADA have complied with their obligations, and to convey that the
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The specter of business failure and personal financial setbacks wreak havoc on employee morale challenging Human Resources with dual management problems. First, HR needs to formulate a communication strategy to address the concerns of employees surrounding job security and compensation. Employee jitters surround the viability of their employer and the security of their jobs. Retirement savings evaporate as