The OperationsInc Navigator
October 21, 2008

Greetings!

The Navigator is published every other week and is filled with the latest HR related news, practical tips, answers to our reader's questions and a whole lot more! We welcome your participation in the makeup of this periodical. Send your feedback, ideas and input to:

[email protected]

In This Week's Edition...
  • Directing you to HR Solutions
  • Year End Calendar Proving to be Challenging for Local Businesses
  • Most Employers Favor Degrees From Traditional Schools vs. Online Degrees
  • What's on Your Mind?
  • Searching for Inspiration? A Few Words of Wisdom...
  • Ask Yourself...
  • Legal Disclaimer

  • Year End Calendar Proving to be Challenging for Local Businesses
    calendar - year end

    A recent study revealed that 55% of firms in the Fairfield County / NY Metro Area are treating December 26th (Friday after Christmas) as a paid Holiday. In addition, 35% of firms surveyed are treating January 2nd (Friday after New Year's Day) as a paid Holiday.


    Most Employers Favor Degrees From Traditional Schools vs. Online Degrees
    Diploma

    A recent study indicated that 63% of hiring managers favor job candidates with degrees from traditional schools vs. online degrees. While 49% of those who make hiring decisions have encountered applicants with online degrees, only 19% have actually hired a candidate who only possessed an online degree.


    What's on Your Mind?

    Because we want to best serve our readers, we feature a segment of our Newsletter where you can submit questions directly to our OperationsInc professionals. Do you have a question related to the management of the Human Resources function? Email it along to [email protected]. The best ones will make it into a future newsletter, along with the answer... and those that don't get published will still receive a response.

    This week's question:
    "Does harassment training provoke lawsuits?"

    --- HR Manager, Public Services

    Answer:
    As a trainer in this space my gut always told me that the more awareness you create the fewer instances of harassment will evolve into lawsuits. The theory from my view was that managers who know what to look for and what to do when they see it will report issues more rapidly, which then will be investigated and vetted properly by HR. My senses were confirmed by a 2007 study done by American University and published by Psychology of Women Quarterly. Their study of 234 professionals showed those with training were no more likely to sue than those who did not receive training.


    Searching for Inspiration? A Few Words of Wisdom...
    compass


    "Remember that time is money."

    - Benjamin Franklin


    Ask Yourself...

    How Strong Is Your HR Backbone?


    Legal Disclaimer

    Information provided in The OperationsInc Navigator is researched and reviewed by the HR experts at OperationsInc. The information in every issue of The OperationsInc Navigator is in part gathered via information available in the public domain, as well as in part the original, copyrighted work of OperationsInc and is protected under U.S. copyright laws. As such, you may not reprint or publish in any format any article or portion of article The OperationsInc Navigator without the express permission of OperationsInc.

    OperationsInc provides the information in this e- newsletter for general guidance only. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional human resources, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation.

    We encourage you to pass along any issue of The OperationsInc Navigator by forwarding it to friends and colleagues.


    Directing you to HR Solutions
    Direction

    INTERVIEW QUESTION OF THE WEEK

    Each Newsletter we will publish an interview question which hiring managers can utilize to better qualify candidates for hire, along with our analysis of the answers you may receive and their meaning.

    This Week's Question
    --What did you like least about your last job?

    GAUGING THEIR RESPONSE ---
    This is a no-brainer in that when you learn the answer you should assess whether or not these tasks are part of the job for which they are applying. While some candidates may quickly and honestly say that there are always parts of a job we dislike, they are part of the job and the candidate may accept their presence and the fact they have to perform these tasks. That all being said it's important to probe the candidate to determine exactly how much they hate these job components and whether or not they are part of the reason this candidate is looking for a new job.

    HR Best Practices Tips

    --Disability accommodation during the interview/selection process
    There always is a lot of confusion pertaining to what an employer's obligation may be when it comes to someone who is disabled and seemingly unable to perform the job available. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has several areas that are vague and non-specific, leaving the employer to make judgment calls. As a result it is imperative to not dismiss a candidate's viability for a slot due to disability, instead consulting an expert on your legal obligations and options. Generally speaking the ADA calls for employers to make a "reasonable accommodation" for an employee so that they may perform their role. To that end a business may need to provide a lifting device to someone wheelchair bound for a warehouse job that requires the lifting and placement of boxes. What's not 100% clear is how small a business needs to be before the burden to make such a purchase is too great and therefore considered an unreasonable accommodation. Bottom line - seek out expert advice.

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