Employee union officials are putting the blame on the shoulders of the Bush administration for poor employee morale across the Interior Department and the Forest Service.  Whether competitive sourcing, the centralization of back office systems and processes, or the failure to address personnel issues, employees view these agencies in a bad light.
“Human capital management […]

And more march madness… if I were to write that in caps, I have to give a dollar to CBS.
Anyways…
When Does Humor Cross the Line in the Workplace…?
My son is currently working at a local wholesaler that lives close to our house.  He graduated from University last spring (2008) and is doing a couple of […]

I’m opening a new business soon as part of Employee Hold’em, a company that will work with high school students (and their parents) determine the best course of action during their junior and senior years of high school and beyond.  The cost of a four year private university is approaching one-hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars […]

You just can’t get away from the “retention” bonuses that are plaguing AIG. Every Sunday-morning news show, newspaper, and magazine is talking about the new populism against these big financial service firms.  Whether you believe they are worthwhile or not, there is plenty of blame to go around… government, lack of accountability, unreasonable business practices […]

Sue Shellenbarger in her weekly Work & Family column for the WSJ provided information about some innovative companies doing innovative things as it relates to expanding benefits.
Whether adoption benefits, scholarships for children of employees, back-up child care, or child-care centers, the reason for these improved work-life balance initiatives is simple:  During a time of layoffs, […]

OK, since this blog fell the day after the holiday, I can still use this…
Q:  What’s Irish and sits out all winter?
A:  Paddy O’Furniture!
I know.  that is just too funny.  Especially first thing in the morning.
Anyways…
The End of Retention Bonuses?
Well, somebody in the P.R. department of AIG, a taxpayer-owned business, needs to do some “splainin’” […]

For those of you old enough to remember that song, it’s one of those songs that sticks in your head for days.  If you are currently humming it to yourself, I’m very sorry, it will stick around until at least Thursday.
It also was the music for my favorite ride at Kings Island when I was […]

I had an interesting discussion with one of the attendees at the Compensation and Benefits Conference here in Mexico City on Wednesday on the “need” for the types of products and services I provide to my clients.  The question was framed as “aren’t employees in the United States just happy to have a job when […]

650,000+ job losses in a month
4,400,000 jobs gone since the recession started, a drop of 2,600,000 in the last four months alone.
8.1% unemployment rate in February, highest in 25 years.  Rates up in every sub-category, 21% for teens.
Long term unemployment up to nearly 3 million.
Poverty up
Foreclosures up
Food stamp needs up
Those without insurance up
Stock market plummeting
401-k’s […]

It’s Wednesday, and I’m on my way to conduct the opening and closing keynote speech at the Compensation and Benefits Conference in Mexico City
I’m speaking with some excellent folks representing some of the best consulting companies in the world.  Even better, I’ll be presenting to some of the biggest and most progressive companies in Mexico.  […]