Workforce Week®

	www.workforce.com
	June 3 - 9, 2007 Vol. 8 Issue 24

In This Issue ...

Workforce News of the Week
Feature: When Office Love Goes Bad

Feature: Breaking the Job Bank

Forum Post: Non-Fraternization Policy

Blog: A Curious Sick Day Policy Change

Best in Shows: A Review of Conventions & Conferences

Commentary: Evolution for HR Generalists


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Workforce News of the Week:

Gay Execs Urged to Come Out: Executives disclosing their sexual orientation would improve their companies' reputations in an era when transparency is increasingly valued. But some observers say the downfall of BP's chief indicates there's still pressure to stay in the closet.
Click to read more. >>>

Business Leaders Don't See HR as Key to People Strategies:
According to a new survey, only 23 percent of corporate leaders believe their HR departments play a crucial role in coming up with corporate strategy and have a significant impact on operating results.
Click to read more. >>>

Supreme Court Rules Against Cumulative Pay Discrimination:
By a 5-4 vote, the court held that a company is not liable for pay discrimination that occurs outside the federal statute of limitations for such cases, which is either 180 or 300 days, depending on the state.
Click to read more. >>>

In Long-Awaited HRO Deal, Johnson & Johnson Contract Goes to Convergys:
The $1 billion, 10-year agreement slightly lags behind the 2006 Unilever-Accenture HRO contract in terms of size.
Click to read more. >>>

Private Equity Firm Shells Out $5.3 billion for Ceridian
Click to read more. >>>

IRS Looks to Ease HSA Contribution Rules
Click to read more. >>>

Quick Takes:
Shut Up, We're Listening
Click to read more. >>>

U.K. Adults Lackluster About Learning
Click to read more. >>>

Chinese Grads Lack ‘Practical Experience'
Click to read more. >>>

Study: Promotion More Stressful Than Divorce
Click to read more. >>>

Banking on trouble
Feature: When Office Love Goes Bad: Employers Are the Losers in the Dating Game

The resignation of World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz underscores the problems companies face when employees date each other.

Investigative report
Feature: Breaking the Job Bank

A month before America's Job Bank disappears, employers, states and other organizations are scrambling to prepare for life without the free government job site. The U.S. Department of Labor announced in early 2006 that the venerable site would close June 30. And during the past year at least two private-sector groups have announced products designed to replace AJB's services. Workforce Management takes an in-depth look at the effects of closing the nation's oldest and largest job bank.

Discussion
Non-Fraternization Policy

Posted in the General Forum:
A reader writes: "Does anyone have any input to the pros and cons of having a non-fraternization policy? Being the HR manager, I can see both sides of the matter but would like to hear others' input."

Join the discussion. >>>

Blog
A Curious Sick Day Policy Change

You may have missed this in the pre-Memorial Day revelry, but Merrill Lynch caught a lot of flak last week for a major change in its sick day policy.

Conventions & conferences
Best in Shows 2007: Notes From Key Workforce Management Conferences and Conventions

Ever wanted to attend an important conference or convention but just couldn't make it? The staff of Workforce Management will bring you reports from key workforce management conventions and conferences throughout the year in this exclusive Web feature. We'll report on the buzz at each show as well as highlights from selected seminars, presentations and speeches. We hope that Best in Shows will be the next best thing to actually being there.

Read about the IHRIM HRM Strategies Conference and Exposition; WorldatWork Total Rewards Conference and Exhibition; Mercer Latin America & Caribbean Human Resource Forum; Fourth Annual World Health Care Congress; SAPPHIRE '07; NY HR Week Conference & Expo; and the Workforce Management Talent Management Conference, featuring the 17th annual Optimas Awards.

The HR Capitalist
Editors Note

Starting with this issue of Workforce Week, Kris Dunn will begin a twice-monthly column called the HR Capitalist. In this column, Dunn, a vice president for human resources at a software company, will focus on topics HR professionals struggle with in their day-to-day work. Just as he does in his blog, Dunn will provide a strong, HR-centered viewpoint on critical workplace issues. Look for it here in Workforce Week.

Evolution for Generalists: Rather than rant or sulk about critiques of HR generalists, here's something to do about filling weak spots in your HR practice: a list of ‘smart plays' that generalists can use to create results for the organizations they serve. They can follow this roadmap, add a couple of points to give it unique style, and watch the critics fade into the background.