Human Resources

Absenteeism in the Public Sector – Is cutting jobs really the solution?

A recent report by the CBC has pegged the cost of federal public service absenteeism at $1B per year. According to the CBC story, the average public servant is taking 18 days a year in sick leave, double what their private sector counterpart does in that same year. While the story does discuss fairly obviousRead… Read more »

Effective Telecommuting

Telecommuting is a great option for the agency and the employee. It can improve continuity of operations and morale. There are cautions, however, as shown in a recent article from the MIT Sloan Management Review. What I took away was adivce for when you are telecommuting Stay in touch when you are out of theRead… Read more »

EEO 101: Harassment — Part II

Hopefully, you have never been harassed at work and never will be. But what would you do if such a situation occurred? Would you know where to turn and what steps to take? Do you know your employment rights and the laws protecting you? What constitutes harassment? You probably have a good general idea ofRead… Read more »

EEO 101: Harassment — Part I

When most folks hear about workplace harassment, it’s likley to be sexual harassment because that’s usually the most common and publicized form. The typical scenerio involves a female subordinate being sexually harassed by a male manager/supervisor, and/or co-worker(s). However, harassment is much broader than that of a purely sexual nature. In fact, harassment may takeRead… Read more »

11 Unintended Consequences Of Government Executive Disclosure Act

Legislation intended to deter members of Congress from profiting from stock trades based on inside information is inadvertently forcing 28,000 federal employees to expose their personal financial information on the Internet. The result, according to a trade group for senior government executives, is a number of unintended risks that federal employees must now bear, andRead… Read more »

Daily Dose: Should Airport Screening Continue to be Privatized?

Orlando Sanford International Airport has received preliminary approval to use private security screeners to screen passengers and personal property. It may now be one of the airports operating under the Screening Partnership Program, of which there are currently 16. TSA Tentatively Okay’s Private Screeners in Orlando Many Republicans are in support of the privatization ofRead… Read more »

FMLA and the Public Sector

So, I just came back from a couple weeks of maternity leave. People think I’m crazy not to have taken the full 3 months off after having a baby. There’s also the misconception that I would be paid for all 3 months, not just for the leave time I have accrued. I’m not complaining though.Read… Read more »

11 Unintended Consequences Of Government Executive Disclosure Act

Legislation intended to deter members of Congress from profiting from stock trades based on inside information is inadvertently forcing 28,000 federal employees to expose their personal financial information on the Internet. The result, according to a trade group for senior government executives, is a number of unintended risks that federal employees must now bear, andRead… Read more »