Harassment claims in the workplace bring up a host of uncomfortable and potentially damaging information about the alleged victim, accused, and the company overall. Curbing harassment in the workplace is such a key component to risk management in terms of protecting your company from potentially catastrophic lawsuits, both from a financial standpoint and a company morale angle. Over the past year, a special task force set up by the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) has been looking at ways to improve company’s risk management and safeguarding against harassment in the workplace. In light of this group’s findings, @HRMorning offers a [...]

We all hope to find those shortcuts that will bring us success whether in our personal lives or at work. We’ve all heard the tips to get up early, do tasks ‘now’ if they take less than five minutes, and schedule time for email and other routine tasks, but surely success isn’t simply rising before the sun. @RealEvilHRLady shared her list of five really hard things that successful people do. Get the right education/training. Look at the background of those in the field you strive for. What education, training and experience do they have? Take a look at job postings. [...]

If you haven’t heard about K$sha’s lawsuit against her producer “Dr. Luke” you may not be on any social media at all. But, just in case, here’s a recap! K$sha has asked the courts to release her from a legally binding contract on the grounds that Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald) drugged and raped her while working together in the past. What would you do as an employer if such a claim came out against one of your managers or supervisors? And what do you think the court should or should not do in this case? It’s a tough one to [...]

Europe has stumbled behind other western economies in terms of growth and recovery due to several geographical, political, and labor regulations throughout the continent. In France, labor regulations are extremely strict and limit the innovation and growth for companies across industry lines. In Germany, the traditional leadership structures inhibit the creativity and possibility for change in business. Across Europe, the cultural and ethnic narrow-mindedness does not allow for diversity in thought, action, or talent. Considering these factors, the forecast for European business success does not look good for our friends across the pond. But, there is good news! In a [...]

The gender divide in business has long been a topic of conversation in discussion forums, water cooler chats, and HR blogs. However, times are changing. So does the glass ceiling still exist? Is there still an old boys’ club in the office? According to @InsideTech, women do still face a glass ceiling in the workplace. Women still only earn 77 cents for every dollar that men earn. Women are often the ones staying home with sick children, while men are seen as the “breadwinners” even if their income is close in number to their female partners. It would be wonderful [...]

Being a manager has its perks: you call the shots, you say who takes vacation and you get first dibs on the coffee and potluck goodies (I kid). But, what about the downsides of being the boss? There are definitely tough situations that require you to be objective, fair, efficient, and inspiring. But you have to balance all of that with being a leader, not a friend. And you also should try to be a manager that people want to work with and can learn from. It’s a tall order, right? You know that your friends here at Peoplescape aim [...]

Has your company followed Facebook, Google, Yahoo, eBay and American Express in creating an open office plan? Many companies, especially tech companies and startups have removed cubical walls and replaced them with communal desks to boost creativity, communication and collaboration. Additionally, an open office plan can save a company on office space expenditures, cutting the amount of space needed per employee and saving on cubical purchases, as well as convey an image of efficiency and innovation. However, could an open office actually be hurting employee productivity? Sharing spaces with a chatty Cathy, an incessant coffee slurper and having the constantly [...]