The Employee Self-Service Challenge

The Employee Self-Service Challenge!   Back in the day, HR did a lot of manual data entry on behalf of employees: Print up and mail out paper paychecks Entered benefit changes in the system Entered tax withholding changes Entered address changes Updated direct deposit information Then self-service came along and we decided our employees could […]

Managing the Jay Cutler on Your Team

Sunday was another excruciating day as a Chicago Bears fan. After seeing the Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons last week, I sat through a game where Chicago’s quarterback, Jay Cutler threw an interception, had two fumbles and only threw for 190 yards;  Compared to last week against the Falcons when he threw for 381 yards […]

When the Employee Engagement Survey is Wrong

When the Employee Engagement Survey is Wrong I had an interesting discussion a couple weeks ago with a non-HR friend who spent some time venting about his company’s employee survey. Turns out the employee survey rated an incompetent manager as “the best” in his department. My friend was shocked to say the least because “the […]

Change Sucks

Change sucks. Even when you think you want change it still sucks. I thought I was ready for change. Big change. Now I’m a little wary of big change. Not to say that I will never willingly move 400 miles again but I will definitely pause before doing this again. Change costs a lot: Money […]

Two Important Things HR Forgets About Managing the FMLA

Disclaimer; this post is not about forms, or what is or isn’t a covered medical condition,  this is a post about treating the PEOPLE in our organizations right and navigating the tricky landscape of compassion and business.   Two Important Things HR Forgets About Managing the FMLA Also known as the “Friday Monday Leave Act,” […]

Why Learn About Unions in HR?

To say the SPHR test is grueling is an understatement.  I took the practice tests and spent a lot of time reviewing flashcards (check out the Flashcards Deluxe app, it is awesome!), although I studied a lot, when I took the test I thought I failed. Yes. It was that hard.   Despite my negative […]