For the most part, job interviews are daunting for both the interviewer and the candidate. Each has only a limited amount of time to deliver their “pitch” and to make a positive, lasting first impression. It can be tricky on both sides to know how to make the most of the interview process. In a… Read More
Posts Categorized In: Hiring, Discipline & Termination
The Essential Ingredient Now for Employers: Compassion
Many Bay Area counties have now extended the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order through May 31st. This new order affects employers and employees in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, as well as those in the city of Berkeley. The extension of the stay-at-home order will no doubt spark even more… Read More
Most Interviewers Ask the Wrong Questions
Many people find themselves in the position to be interviewing prospective employees, without really having much training in how to conduct an interview. This often results in the interviewer asking boilerplate questions that the candidate has already been asked many, many times before. The result is a “canned” response that has been rehearsed and refined… Read More
Attracting and Keeping Millennial Employees
The tech boom seems to have brought about a major shift in what employees and candidates expect from their (prospective) employers. According to a February 2019 CNBC article, this is especially true amongst millennials. On one hand, employers—particularly those within the tech realm—are offering an increasing number of “work perks,” while, on the other hand,… Read More
Human Trafficking Training Required by End of 2019
By year end of 2019, California hotel and motel employers must train all of their employees about human trafficking – to raise awareness, teach employees how to spot victims, and provide guidance on what to do to help. As we pointed out in our January 2019 blog about new California employment laws, SB-970 mandates that… Read More
California Bans Hairstyle Discrimination
On July 3, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 188 — also known as the CROWN Act — and made California the first state in the country to outlaw discrimination based on “natural hair,” including afros, braids, twists, and locks. CROWN stands for Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair. According to… Read More
2019 Brings New Laws and Obligations for California Employers
Last year was a busy legislative year in California. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements in particular spawned a host of new employment laws that took effect on January 1st. If you haven’t done so already, you should review your employee handbook and personnel policies to make sure that you are in compliance with these new laws. SB… Read More
Transparent Separation: A More Humane Way to Terminate?
I came across an interesting article today in the Harvard Business Review about employee terminations. The author, who is a digital media executive and Adjunct Professor of Management at Columbia University, argues that “transparent separation” is a more humane approach to employee termination that is “highly underused given [its] low risk and great benefits.” So… Read More
Governor Brown Signs AB 2282 Clarifying California’s Fair Pay Act
On July 18, 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2282. This new law, which goes into effect on January 1, 2019, clarifies employees’ rights, and employers’ obligations, under the state’s existing “Fair Pay Act.” Under California’s existing Fair Pay Act, California employers were (and still are) prohibited from asking about, or relying on, an applicant’s… Read More
And the Winner for Worst Boss is…the Absentee Leader!
A recent article by Marcel Schwantes in Inc. Magazine summarizes new research on the key traits of bad bosses. Guess what key trait makes for the worst type of boss? Absentee Leadership Absentee leadership is harder to detect and does not fall into one of the classic leadership patterns considered “bad” for the workplace: the bully,… Read More
