Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Labor-DayJust-Another-Holiday.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Labor-DayJust-Another-Holiday.html Every year, near the end of August, many prepare for the federal holiday of Labor Day on the first Monday of September. A lot of people consider Labor Day the close of summer. Many look forward to the last summer barbeque, time spent with family and friends, and also the Labor Day sales! Interestingly, the origins of the Labor Day holiday are not always discussed. In this edition of Astronology we will crack open the history books to discover the origins of the federal holiday of Labor Day. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Time-Management-Skills--Work.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Time-Management-Skills--Work.html Doesn’t it sometimes feel as though there aren’t enough hours in a day to complete all the things you would like to accomplish? No doubt, everyone at one time or another, whether at work, home, or school, has felt like this. However, does this problem exist due to procrastination or lack of time management skills? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Open-CommunicationHow-Important-is-it-really.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Open-CommunicationHow-Important-is-it-really.html This week, Astronology discusses open communication, and how important it really is for an organization. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/2009-SHRM-Annual-Conference-and-Exposition-Recap.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/2009-SHRM-Annual-Conference-and-Exposition-Recap.html It was rainy and damp, filled with good times and great learning experiences. The SHRM 2009 Annual Conference and Exposition drew over 6,000 Human Resource professionals from across the country to New Orleans, LA for 4 days of learning and fun. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Business-Coaching-and-Mentoring-Are-They-Worth-the-Effort.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Business-Coaching-and-Mentoring-Are-They-Worth-the-Effort.html Many people consider Business Coaching and Business Mentoring to be the same thing. Even though they are both organizational development terms, they are not synonymous. This issue of Astronology investigates the practicality of Business Coaching and Business Mentoring. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/July-4rth-Crash-Course-in-History.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/July-4rth-Crash-Course-in-History.html Barbeques. Retail sales. Fireworks. These are a few of the things we think of when we consider the 4rth of July or Independence Day. But was July 4th the real day that America was born? In this issue of Astronology, we take a quick crash course into U.S. History with some startling but fun facts. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/FLSA-Pitfalls-and-Innocent-Errors.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/FLSA-Pitfalls-and-Innocent-Errors.html Inspired by the presentation given by Astron’s own Michael F. Maciekowich, in partnership with Bond, Schoenick, & King, entitled: “Can Your Compensation System Weather the (Hurricane) Winds of Change from the Obama Administration?” this edition of Astronology will tackle some of the pitfalls and innocent errors organization sometimes find themselves in when handling serious issues with the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Recession-SlumpHelping-Employees-During-the-Crunch.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Recession-SlumpHelping-Employees-During-the-Crunch.html There’s no denying it. There are hiring freezes everywhere, and unemployment statistics increase daily. This recession slump is hitting America hard, and organizations everywhere are trying to stay afloat. In previous recessions, layoffs have been the number one solution to combat rising expenses in the face of lower revenues. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Telecommuting-Is-it-feasible-for-your-company.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/Telecommuting-Is-it-feasible-for-your-company.html In researching fiscally sensitive lifestyle adjustments, this Astronology reporter discovered the growing trend of telecommuting. While it may not seem like a common HR subject, telecommuting is becoming a highly important topic in organizations. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/April-Fools-Day-Employee-Morale-and-How-to-Kill-it-in-5-Easy-Steps.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/770/April-Fools-Day-Employee-Morale-and-How-to-Kill-it-in-5-Easy-Steps.html For our first article in April, in recognition of April Fool’s Day, we’ve decided to make light of a serious topic. As an August 2008 Training Trends e-newsletter pointed out, there are “countless articles and books that promise to tell employers how to boost employee morale.” Why not take a shortcut from buying and reading all of those books and take a look at the top 5 ways to kill employee morale?