Archive for the 'HR News' Category

75th Anniversary of Bloody Thursday

Posted by Lori Dorn on July 4th, 2009

While Americans are celebrating the 4th of July Holiday few also realize that tomorrow is a day to be remembered. It is the 75th anniversary of “Bloody Thursday” or the West Coast Longshore Fisherman’s strike, a day in which that led to the unionization of all West Coast ports. The fight was contentious [...]

Speaking of Committees…

Posted by Lori Dorn on July 1st, 2009

In writing the last post, I found a wonderful site with a plethora of quotes regarding committees. Here are just a few:
If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into committees. That’ll do them in. ~Author Unknown
Our age will be known as the age of committees. ~Ernest Benn
A committee is [...]

The late great Milton Berle once said, “A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours.”
Boy, he wasn’t kidding. Now there’s a calculator that keeps track of how much those hours cost. Just enter the number of attendees, their average hourly rate and let ‘er roll.

via Laughing Squid

California UI: From Bad to Worse

Posted by Lori Dorn on June 19th, 2009

Scary times are getting even scarier. The California unemployment rate hit 11.5% in May, getting very close to double that of May 2008. Even worse, some California counties are hitting close to 20% and the national UI rate is hitting close to 10%. According to the EDD:
SACRAMENTO – California’s unemployment rate was 11.5 [...]

What I consider to be a stunning move, California Senator Dianne Feinstein is no longer supporting the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).
According to Santa Clarita AM radio station KHTS, Senator Feinstein will not sign on the dotted line:
A delegation from the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce, joined by similar groups from around [...]

Definitely Going Broke

Posted by Lori Dorn on June 2nd, 2009

In his speech today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told Californians that “our wallet is empty”.
Our wallet is empty. Our bank is closed. Our credit is dried up.
I know for many of you, these will be the hardest votes you will ever make.
But the people sent us here to lead not only in times of prosperity but [...]

I’m Ashamed

Posted by Lori Dorn on May 26th, 2009

Yes, it’s all over the news. The California Supreme Court upheld the ridiculously discriminatory Prop 8 today.
I can’t believe how ashamed of California I am. My only ray of sunshine, my silver lining is the 2010 ballot, which could possibly give us a chance to reverse Prop 8 and allow marriage for [...]

EEOC Heal Thyself

Posted by Lori Dorn on May 15th, 2009

I must admit, I laughed when I read this one.
It seems that the EEOC violated the tenets of the FLSA when they gave their non-exempt employees compensatory time rather than paying overtime.
According to BLR’s “HR Strange But True”:
The case involved nonexempt EEOC investigators, mediators, and paralegals who said they worked more than [...]

Hell Hath Frozen Over

Posted by Lori Dorn on May 10th, 2009

It seems that health insurance companies, among other healthcare providers, are going to voluntarily slow their increases 1.5% over the next 10 years in order to allow President Obama’s health care plan to grow into fruition.
From SFGate:
Hospitals, insurance companies, drug makers and doctors planned to tell Obama on Monday they’ll voluntarily slow their [...]

Marilyn French – RIP

Posted by Lori Dorn on May 5th, 2009

One of the greatest feminist writers in the world, Marilyn French, died on May 2. Her book, “The Women’s Room” changed a number of lives, particularly those of female baby boomers.
I remember that book sitting on my mother’s nightstand, dog eared and battered from it having been read a number of [...]

Pay Equity in the U.S.

Posted by Lori Dorn on May 4th, 2009

Yes, I admit it, I’m an absolute “Mad Men” fanatic. I love the clothes, I love the hair, I love the fact that fuller figured women are considered sexy. Most of all, I love how it so very accurately portrays women in the workplace circa 1964. Women were not taken seriously nor were [...]

Bossnapping Rampant Across Europe

Posted by Lori Dorn on April 22nd, 2009

I came across the term “bossnapping” the other day while listening to NPR. It seems that frustrated workers across Europe are taking matters into their own hands.
Evidently bossnapping is an old practice that’s been called back from the dead. From The Guardian:
The tactic, which became popular during the tumultuous days of [...]

I Don’t Wanna Go To Work Tomorrow

Posted by Lori Dorn on April 19th, 2009

Photo by Scott Beale

More Layoffs at Yahoo 2009

Posted by Lori Dorn on April 19th, 2009

It seems that history has come to repeat itself again and again – Yahoo, facing further declining profits and falling shares in the face of the struggling economy may be making up to 600 layoffs this week. In 2008, Yahoo made close to 2,500 job cuts. Announcement of the job eliminations are expected to [...]

Such A Long Time

Posted by Lori Dorn on April 1st, 2009

Well, it’s been a while since I posted and I thank you all for being patient with me. I decided to take the month of March off from just about everything, including writing. But now I’m back and hopefully better than ever. So, what’s going on?
First off, this week is the week [...]


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