The private insurance industry has been discriminating against older Americans for decades, charging them many times more for the same insurance than "more desirable" younger people pay. Now that we have the opportunity to require fairer and more affordable insurance options, the industry still wants to be allowed to discriminate on the basis of age. This unfair practice would continue to ...

How we fight sometimes says more about us than how we got into a fight in the first place. Living a conflict-free life, especially with a loved one, sounds nice but in reality is impossible. Not only that, but it's unhealthy. Disagreements from time to time, if dealt with maturely and with the requisite kindness, can actually help to strengthen the ...

Oct. 22--What if to keep your job, you were ordered never to reveal your gender, race or ethnicity? While in some cases others might be able to guess about the traits that make you who you are, you would not have the right to tell them -- plainly and simply -- so they did not have to speculate. That would be ...

A reader writes: I work at a small company for now. 3 and a half people (the half being a part time contractor). There is no HR. The boss is HR. I have had several therapy sessions trying to figure him out. My therapist thinks he is an attention-deficit narcissist. He won't apologize, take responsibility, or listen. He disregards years and ...

For many, attempting to get someone to write a letter of recommendation for school or a new job can be an extremely intimidating experience. Especially for those who fear rejection, don't easily accept compliments, or just don't like tooting their own horn. However, like filling out an application or writing a resume, getting someone to write a letter of recommendation is ...

AT&T Inc. joined the recession's parade of layoffs Thursday by announcing plans to cut 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force. The Dallas-based telecommunications company — the nation's largest — said the job cuts will take place this month and throughout 2009. The company also plans to reduce capital spending next year. Spokesman Walt Sharp said the layoffs will ...

As unemployment continues to rise, everyone is looking for other ways to bring in some money while still searching for another job.  Although a job is the conventional way to earn money, sometimes you need to think outside the box or search outside your comfort zone in order to try something new and bring in a little bit of money to ...

The media coverage of exRBS chief Sir Fred Goodwin's huge pension pot triggered much debate about the connection between performance and remuneration. But 'Fred the Shred' is far from alone in securing enviable rewards for failure. Research in September 2008 by corporate remuneration consultancy Patterson Associates found that CEOs of under-performing FTSE 100 companies tended to earn more than those delivering ...

John Stevenson hasn't stopped patronizing the local gym, but after his workout, he is wiping down his machines with spray disinfectant and paper towels. Sales associate Janet Lininger is having customers swipe their own credit cards (she's relieved to have recently shifted from the intimate-apparel section to the far-less-cozy handbag department). In ways both discreet and direct, serious and silly, Americans ...

Pop-quiz: What does HR do? (Hint: “Get in the way” isn’t the right answer) I’ve heard a lot of answers to that question, but the one I like best is short and simple: HR aligns employee behaviors with business strategies. If you read my last article, then you already know how to conduct an analysis of your company’s competitive strategies. Today ...

A 360 degree leadership assessment is one of the most effective ways to get feedback from your employees, peers, and managers against a set of pre-defined leadership competencies. Having debriefed these for hundreds of managers, and taken a number of different 360s myself, I’ve discovered some best practices that have worked for me and others. Here are 10 tips for getting ...

Holiday party planning can get dicey when companies add diversity to their merrymaking mix. How do you appeal to all without leaving someone out in the cold? "Put the emphasis on celebrating," advises workplace diversity consultant Sondra Thiederman, PhD, author of Making Diversity Work, founder of Cross-Cultural Communications and a Monster contributing writer. The key: "Focus more on what we share ...

Human resource and training issues usually top the list of challenges facing Texas banks. It's not surprising, then, that 263 bankers in 18 locations attended our Human Resources & Training Huddles in March and April. Professional Development Advisor Chris King, who dreamed up and executed the Huddles concept, reported back that there were great exchanges at all locations and many resources ...

With the recent dismissal/demotion of several women executives from major corporations, a 2005 article in the British Journal of Management entitled "The Glass Cliff: Evidence that Women are Over-Represented in Precarious Leadership Positions" is being scrutinized anew. In this article Michelle Ryan and Alexander Haslam confront the question: what sorts of jobs are women given when they finally make it into ...

AT&T Inc., the largest employer of union labor in the country, is renegotiating contracts that cover 112,500 workers and looks set to take advantage of the recession to reduce its health care costs. Five regional union contracts expire on April 4. A sixth that expires a few months later is being negotiated at the same time. The last time this batch ...

The experts can warn you until they're blue in the face: Beware of office romances. But there that special someone is: So cute, such chemistry, so nice -- this could be the love of your life, or at least the romance of your week. You don't want to just say no, but are you at grave risk of one day getting ...

How often have you wished for more time with your family? You probably also wish for an orderly schedule and an organized desk. Free productivity tools can make all of these things a reality. Getting organized can be a daunting prospect. But soon you'll be efficient at scheduling meetings and completing tasks. You'll have more time to spend with your family. ...

Have you ever left an interview knowing something went awry? It can happen for a variety of reasons: Your gut tells you that this is not where you want to work, you had an uncomfortable exchange with the interviewer, or you forgot the interviewer's name altogether. Here are tips for following up after different awkward interview situations: You Don’t Like the ...

Juggling multiple careers is not news to me. In college, I did part-time work in fast food joints, worked as a customer rep in a paging company while attending school. You won’t see me hanging around in the university doing nothing or wasting time away chatting with friends. I wasn’t anti-social or anything like that. It’s just that my schedule didn’t ...

Supervisors, middle managers and corporate executives — suits, if you will — tonight will be going to a frightening source for leadership lessons. Many will put down their copy of The Effective Executiveby Peter Drucker and tune into the one-hour season premiere of NBC's (GE) comedy The Office. This borders on disturbing. After all, the show centers on a bumbling boss ...