Red Tape & Regulation
Say "no thanks" to new farm rules
26 Apr 2012 | Dan Bobinski
Too often, the well-intended efforts of government agencies are vulnerable to the law of unintended consequences. And those include many negative ripple-effects, particularly when safety is concerned..
Court orders women to wear bras at work
13 Jan 2011 | Brian Amble
A judge in the German city of Cologne has ruled that company bosses are within their rights to order female employees to wear a bra, keep their fingernails trimmed and appear at work with their hair clean and groomed.
Two ways to restart the economy
20 Nov 2010 | Dan Bobinski
I recently heard someone say that a true American does not want a free ride, he wants to sail his own boat. I find that statement to be overwhelmingly true, but as far as running a business is concerned, how much sailing can one do when so many obstacles fill the waters?
German companies to be banned from checking Facebook
31 Aug 2010 | Brian Amble
Proposed legislation soon to go before the German parliament will make it illegal for employers from checking out job applicant's private Facebook pages as part of a wider crack-down on the misuse of private data by corporations.
When "not mandatory" still means compulsory
28 Sep 2009 | Derek Torres
The story of a woman who was fired from her job from for refusing a flu vaccination raises some important issues about individual freedom and employment rights.
Court judgement will make employers sick
15 Sep 2009 | Brian Amble
The European Court of Justice is going to win few friends among employers following a ruling that means employees who are ill during their holiday can demand extra holiday from their employers to make up for it.
A conscientious can of worms
07 Jul 2009 | Derek Torres
A proposed 'conscientious objector' law in the state of in Michigan that would protect people from having to do anything in their job that may be in conflict with their religious beliefs. What a can of worms that would be.
Shining a light on sexual harassment
06 Jul 2009 | Derek Torres
It came as some surprise to me to see that the number of sexual harassment claims in Israel has jumped substantially in the past year or so - by as much as 12% according to recent figures.
Colorado loses the plot
30 Jun 2009 | Derek Torres
I'm sure that you've picked up the newspaper or turned on the evening news, only to ask yourself, 'what on earth were they thinking?' or even 'why weren't they thinking?' Here's a classic example.
Ohio? No thanks
14 May 2009 | Derek Torres
If you've ever thought about working for the great state of Ohio, you may want to think again, especially if you're of the porn surfin', hell raisin', and prostitute soliciting persuasion.
A lesson from Rwanda
10 Mar 2009 | Derek Torres
It's not too often that we discuss what's going on across Africa in these posts, so I decided to change that. After doing some research in the news, it seems our friends in Africa enjoy (well, not literally) the same problems as workers everywhere else in the world.
New year, new laws
08 Jan 2009 | Derek Torres
With a new year comes new laws – even for the workplace. To that end, I'd urge everyone to hop online and check out any new laws that may have gone into effect in your part of the planet.
Will over-regulation strangle financial services?
01 Dec 2008 | Kevan Hall
Onerous regulatory regimes such as Sarbanes-Oxley did nothing to prevent the current financial crisis. And more bureaucracy won't prevent problems in future. What we need is a regulatory environment that encourages fast, decentralized control, not a centralized, rules-based approach.
Craziness in Canada
13 Nov 2008 | Derek Torres
Running a small company or an independent consultant practice is no easy task. So the last thing you want is a government that is determined to make your life even more difficult - which is exactly what's happening in Canada.
All change?
10 Nov 2008 | Derek Torres
Will the election of Barack Obama really bring chnage to the American workplace? The answer seems to be a qualified 'yes'.
Living dangerously in Maryland
17 Sep 2008 | Derek Torres
There's a common misconception about Americans in that we don't like sex. Well, that's probably true in some states, but certainly doesn't seem to be the case in the great state of Maryland.
Rights and wrongs
04 Sep 2008 | Derek Torres
In today's world of everyone believing that they are entitled to special treatment for one reason or another, it's increasingly difficult to be an HR professional or labor lawyer.
The deterioration of workplace safety
26 Aug 2008 | Derek Torres
More and more articles are appearing in newspapers across America focusing on the deterioration of workplace safety. With good reason.
When more isn't a good thing
01 Aug 2008 | Derek Torres
Why do governments continue to push the lie that they care about those they are supposed to represent? Just look at the latest maneuver from the American Department of Labor.
Anti-smoking madness?
29 Jul 2008 | Derek Torres
Let's ponder for a moment about what exactly constitutes a workplace, shall we? Before you start to wax poetically for too long, it seems that perhaps the Welsh authorities have come up with a rather far reaching answer.